


Dreams and Dimples

by Grey_Huntress_Warden



Category: One Piece
Genre: Enemies to Friends, F/M, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Mostly Cannon with some minor changes, My first fanfic!, Original Character(s), Sisters, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2019-08-01 21:28:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 41
Words: 137,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16292141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grey_Huntress_Warden/pseuds/Grey_Huntress_Warden
Summary: The Cooper sisters shared a lot of things, a love of sailing, grief for the loss of their parents, and dimples in their cheeks.  When they find themselves in the world of One Piece, each of them struggle with just how much their lives have changed.  Finding themselves suddenly separated, they strive to survive, to reunite and to get back home... hopefully in that order.  Join them as they make friends, find love, and chase dreams- changing too much as they try to change nothing at all.





	1. The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> While the beginning follows all four sisters, the main part of the story follows just one, with the others making appearances. SO if it's confusing at first with all the characters, it will get easier!

Kiana Cooper stared out at the ocean’s water with a slight smile on her lips. The small waves, and fading light as the sun began its descent- causing a myriad of patterns on the water. Sounds of birds and ships along the coast disappeared as her family’s sailboat moved further away from the port. All these things escaped her notice as she continued to stare without seeing at the water. Memories came to her mind, often starting new ones before she had fully processed the old. It had taken far longer than she originally planned to get her sisters sailing together again since their parents were gone. She turned away from the water and studied her older sister. She was constantly in awe, and a bit envious of Drusilla. Dru not only knew what she wanted out of life, but she had the plan to achieve it all in the shortest time possible. She also had been taking care of the rest of them for the past two years since the accident that took their parents from them. 

If that weren’t enough, Dru was also the epitome of beautiful, inside and out. Kind, almost to a fault, and always helping others. She resembled their mother with her dark, loosely curly hair, hazel eyes, and tan skin, while Kia resembled their father with her auburn hair that was more frizzy than wavy, bright blue eyes, and fair skin with freckles covering her cheeks. Dru inherited her tall, skinny build from their father however, while Kia received her slightly shorter but curvier build from their mother.  


Kia shifted to look at her younger sisters as well. Her sister Ashley, just over a year younger at 18, shared Kia’s fair skin and freckles, but was just as tall as Dru at 5’10” with a similar skinny build that she maintained with all manner of sports and activities. Her dark blond hair set her apart from her sisters, as well as her blue eyes that leaned toward grey. Her sarcastic humor often kept Kia laughing, Dru exasperated, and Teresa annoyed. Teresa, the youngest at 17, while sharing coloring with Dru in her dark hair and tan skin, only stood at 5’6”, with her hair straight as a pin and hanging in a braid down almost to her waist. She had a more muscular build than her sisters because of her time in ROTC as well as all the training she was doing, though Kia still wasn’t sure what the ‘training’ was for. Reese was known for her competitive and aggressive nature, but quick to not only root for the underdog, but jump in to help them.

Kia smiled as she looked at each of them, not hearing the joke that Ash had said, but seeing Dru shake her head while smiling, and Reese snickering. She noticed the one thing they had in common, given from their dad; they all shared his dimples in both cheeks when they smiled. Yes, it had taken longer for all their schedules to align so that they could take this week out on their family’s sailboat. She had found the plans among her mother’s notes, and decided to go ahead with them, once Reese was out of school. It had taken months of planning, but she was glad it was happening. 

“Kia?” 

She blinked as the voice penetrated her thoughts. “Um, yeah?” she said, looking at each of her sisters, as she wasn’t sure who had spoken.

“Oh, I see.” Ash smirked and continued, “Kia’s dreaming about being a pirate again.” She gripped the wheel in a mock of getting ready for something. “C’mon Kia! Let’s join the monkeys and find the golden fleece!”

Kia scowled. It was so like Ash to only remember random words from her stories about her favorite anime. “Ash, it’s Monkey D. Luffy, and he’s trying to find One Piece! That’s why it’s called One Piece!” she snapped back, but with a smile. It’s like Ash got it wrong on purpose, and it never failed to make Kia smile.

“Ha-ha! My bad, Kia!” Ash laughed and asked, “well I was just wondering if you planned specific places to go, or if we are simply exploring?”

“I have a back up plan if needed, but I figured I’d leave it up to everyone.” She replied.

“Let’s just sail all the way around the world!” Reese yelled from the other side of the boat, “I’ve got plenty of time!”

“You may, but some of us only have the week.” Dru added matter-of-factly. “How about we stop at bird island for lunch?” she continued.

Kia looked back at the oversized rock that they had continuously called an island when they were younger. She smirked at Dru, “Nice idea, but we already passed it a while ago.”

Dru followed Kia’s gaze. “hmm, that was faster than I remember.”

Ash laughed and said, “that’s because we are much more competent sailors now.”

Dru smiled as well, “you’re right about that.” She paused, looking thoughtful, “well let’s keep going then! Let’s see how far we can get!”

“Woo-hoo!” Ash and Reese cheered. It wasn’t very often that Dru was spontaneous, so they were taking full advantage. Kia giggled and thought to herself, ‘off to adventure, just like One Piece!’

All four girls were shaken from their thoughts as a huge gust of wind almost blew them over. They looked around surprised, as the sky quickly grew dark. “Seriously?!?” Kia said as she looked at the coming storm. “Where did this come from? It was bright and sunny two seconds ago!”

“Quickly, get your jackets on, and let’s get out of here!” Dru said urgently, having to raise her voice against the wind. “Ash, you’ve got the wheel! Reese, Kia, the sails!” she yelled as she ran for the back of the boat. All three jumped into motion and tugged on their life jackets. Ashley ran to the steering wheel, looking around to get her bearings.

“I can’t see anything!” she shouted. “and it’s getting darker by the minute!” She looked down at her instruments and had to take a closer look. “Something’s wrong guys! It’s showing the wind at 60 miles per hour, but our speed is almost non-existent! And the GPS…” she looked again, not sure she believed it, “says we’ve made an XTE. We’re off course 20 miles starboard!”

It seemed that Kia and Reese ignored her, but they were focusing everything they had on getting the sails tied down, so that they wouldn’t tear. 

“How is that possible, Ash?!” Dru yelled, even though she was only a foot away. “This just started!” 

"I don't know!" Ash yelled back. _It didn’t make any sense!_ Something had to be broken with her equipment and was corrupting the other pieces. 

It seemed like hours as the girls were blown in the wind, unsure of where they were heading when it seemed almost as suddenly that the wind was letting up. They stood and glanced around, and saw the light returning to the sky slowly, as the sun peeked out of the clouds. 

“I can see the shore!” Ash cheered as she swung the wheel towards her new destination.

“Um, Ash? That doesn’t look like anything near the Port.” Kia said. “Maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to land." 

“It’s a better idea to be stationary while I try to figure out what’s up with the equipment,” Ash replied as she drew them nearer to the island. “We’ll be hopelessly lost if we can’t figure out what’s wrong with it.”

“Agreed.” Dru added. “Though, this whole thing is very strange. I wonder…” a loud scraping noise interrupted Dru’s musings. It was followed by an even louder cracking. The girls looked at each other in shock as they could hear water coming in the boat.“… did we just hit, something?” Dru finished.

“We’re not near enough to shore to hit anything.” Reese argued. She jumped over to the railing and peered over. “It’s some sort of… coral? I think.”

“Perfect.” Ash scrubbed her face with her hands, and then looked up at her sisters. “I have absolutely no idea how to deal with this. But with the way the water is coming in, we’re probably going to have to swim to shore. We’ll have to try to contact the coast guard or something, we’re not all that far away from the port, maybe 5 hours?”

Dru, squeezed her shoulder. “It’s not your fault Ash. No, it’s not” she reiterated at Ash’s incredulous look. “Grab what you can, emergency kit, backpacks, food. We don’t know what’s waiting for us over there.” Her sisters were quick to follow her orders and ran through the galley to gather what they could as the water level rose. 

“We’re out of time!” Reese called as she came back to look over the railing, cinching the ties on her backpack. “Let’s go! Looks like we’re going to swim to shore.” With that said, she jumped into the water, avoiding the coral. “Not too cold, so you’ll survive, Kia!” she yelled as she surfaced, knowing Kia’s aversion to the cold.

“Great. Just great.” Kia mumbled, as Ash joined Reese in the water. “Guess there’s not much choice.”

“Guess not.” Dru replied, as they shouldered their own backpacks, and joined their sisters in swimming to the nearby shore.

\- - - - - 

He paused. There was no way that he heard voices, but he silently waited anyway, just to be sure. When he didn’t hear any sound besides the normal animal life after a couple of moments he continued his journey through the forest. He must be nearing the shoreline, if his calculations were correct, this island wasn’t that large. 

He stopped again. He heard something that time. There was no mistaking the voices that came, so there must be others on this island. But why? There was nothing of importance here. In fact, the island was so isolated that most people did not even know of its existence.

He contemplated his choices and decided to learn more before simply destroying the intruders. Leader was constantly telling him how important information was, and after all, he could simply destroy whomever it was afterwards.

He moved silently, his incredibly large size providing no hindrance. As he got closer, he could tell that there were multiple people judging from the voices that were… arguing? It seemed more than simply talking, however it was difficult to tell since the voices didn’t seem angry. He continued forward, though much more slowly to not gain attention as he moved the foliage away so that he could view the people before him. And he stopped again, and simply stared.

They were… children. Though after further study, the eldest looked almost old enough to be of age but barely. He continued to study each of them in turn, gathering data. The eldest seemed more… elegant he supposed. Though the word he wanted escaped him, he supposed that it didn’t matter. He shifted his gaze to the girl next to her. There were similarities, yet everything was slightly off. Her hair, while also dark, shone red in the sunlight, and she was also a few inches shorter. He shifted his eyes again, to the third girl. Younger, with lighter, almost blond hair that was straight and down past her chin in the front, yet short enough to be non-existent in the back. He turned his gaze to the final girl. She was younger and shorter and seemed to be a collection of features from the other three. It seemed that her build was also more muscular, like a brawler, though still feminine as well. As he took in the sight of all of them together, he concluded that they were most definitely related, most likely sisters or cousins. At that moment, they smiled at each other, and he noticed they all had identical dimples in their cheeks. Sisters then, he said to himself. 

He started to process these findings with what the conversation, well argument really, had given him, but he still didn’t quite understand. It was understandable that crashing into the coral trap would sink their ship, and understandable that they didn’t know what island they were on, but how could they be so surprised at the foliage before them? They acted as though they had never seen palm trees before. Where did they come from that that could be reality? Palm trees existed on practically every island in the Great Blue. True, maybe not winter islands, but by their dress of shorts and t-shirts, they obviously didn’t come from a winter island. They seemed to defer to the eldest girl, though by the constant arguing, perhaps they were all equal? It was not a logical situation, when decisions were to be made, someone needed to be in charge.

Did he just hear that correctly? How could they not know where in the world they were? Did they not bring a navigator? Did that mean they were just sailing randomly without a log pose?? As far as he knew, that meant certain death. Then there were the words that meant nothing in context, like Washington. Was that a place or a person? Should he have heard the name before? He wasn’t sure, but he’d be sure that put that in his report. And what exactly was anime, and why was the girl so upset about not having it? Was it really worth having? Perhaps it was something Leader would want. They also were extremely upset over the loss of their boat. That was more understandable, as they were now stranded. There was not another island anywhere near, and as far as he knew, no one came to this place, ever.

He noticed that the girls were quiet now, all sitting and taking some sort of inventory. One girl held a small square… device. She alternately would raise it in the air and face in different directions while staring intently at it and trying to speak into it. What could she be trying to do? And what was that device?

He came to a decision. While they most definitely were not a threat, they would eventually perish on this island, so it would be a kindness to eliminate them now, rather than letting them starve to death. However, it may be worth bringing the eldest back to base for interrogation. Yes, that would be best. So, decided, he stepped forward out of the brush, ready to quickly put down the younger three. He heard their gasps and screams, but that didn’t cause him to stop as he so suddenly did. What froze him was the word he heard from one of them.

_“Kuma?!?”_

\- - - - - 

Kia slapped her hand to her mouth. Why did she say that name? Sure, the gigantic man looked exactly like the character from One Piece. He was at over 20 feet tall, with the same dark, long, curly hair, and the beanie with the cute little bear ears. His clothes even had little paw prints on the cuffs, and he was carrying a bible, but still! It wasn’t possible! And by the way the man had frozen and was staring at her (in fact everyone was staring at her) she wasn’t sure if she had somehow insulted him or not. So, she simply sat there, with her hand over her mouth, staring back at the man. 

“You know who I am?” the man asked her. “Tell me, how do you know me?” He continued calmly. Much too calmly. Like, scary calm before the crazy started.

Kia found that she couldn’t speak. Not that her brain had figured out what to say.

“You know him, Kia?” Ash ventured quietly. “How exactly?” 

“One Piece,” Kia responded. That answer had all her sisters reeling. They all knew Kia’s obsession with the anime and manga, the posters covering her walls, and the statues lining the shelves in her apartment. There were times that she chose buying One Piece items over food and had to come begging at their doors. 

“Well sir, this may seem crazy, but it seems that where we are from there is a story about a boy who is trying to become the king of the pirates,” Dru spoke, remembering at least the general plot line of the story. “and my sister recognized you, because you also are part of the story.”

“As strange as it seems, it’s true,” Ash added. “While we haven’t read the story, she has told us about it several times. I cannot see however, how this would be possible!”

“Indeed.” The man they knew as Kuma answered. It seemed that he was not much of a conversationalist. They waited for him to continue, but he didn’t.

“According to the, um… story,” Kia tried to speak without stuttering, knowing that she didn’t exactly portray confidence. “You are Bartholomew Kuma, the Tyrant,” _the tyrant?_ Her sisters mouthed, but she continued on, “user of the paw-paw fruit, and one of the seven warlords of the sea. And, well, that’s pretty much all I know,” she finished lamely. Saying too much could get her maimed or even killed if he thought she was a threat. 

“Interesting.” Kuma again gave nothing away, his face a mask of indifference and his voice revealing nothing of his emotions. Kia found herself wondering if he was already swapping his body parts for machine parts, or if he was still completely human. She then wondered why she was concerned about that at all. There were more pressing matters after all. Like how to get back home, and… okay, now she started to wonder if perhaps she was dead, or maybe having a vivid dream.

“We’re not seriously thinking we are in some version of Kia’s anime, are we?” Reese demanded. “Has everyone gone insane?!?”

“And your explanation then?” Dru asked.

“Well, obviously this is some sort of prank or perhaps someone is building a theme park on one of the little islands off the coast.” Reese responded. “I’m not sure exactly, but obviously this is not the real Kuma, because there IS no REAL Kuma, “she finished as if there could be no argument. 

“Reese,” Dru began, “please, for once, use your head before you let your mouth go. We just spent the last hour arguing about how this can’t possibly be an island anywhere NEAR Washington. We are obviously far from home and closing our minds to possible answers will not help us in figuring out the truth.” Dru looked around, first at the forest of trees that she had never seen before, the beach, the spot where their boat was half submerged, and finally up to the sky before continuing. “Obviously something strange is happening. First off, that storm was no ordinary storm. Complete darkness with no rain, lightning or thunder, and huge gales of wind with no waves in the water?” She glanced down at her watch, “By the sun’s position, I’d say it is around noon, but according to my watch it is just after 5pm.” She looked at her sisters again, and turned to Kuma, “can you help us understand what’s going on? We’d be very grateful.” 

Kuma didn’t speak at first, nodding to himself for his correct assessment of this girl. She obviously was the eldest, as the others took her words as facts, and all looked to him as if her words spoke for them all. Leader would want to meet her, and probably recruit her as well. They needed more allies that thought before acting. At this thought, he eyed the four of them again. He doubted that she would go if he killed her sisters. He sighed inwardly. Perhaps he could convince them to separate.

“You are currently on Tropska Island, on the northern edge of the South Blue.” He began. “There is not much known about it, as I was sent here on a scouting mission to determine its uses, if any. I do not recognize the place you call Washington, but I do recognize one piece, though it is not a place. The One Piece is a legendary treasure left by Gol Roger, king of the pirates, and said to be on the final island in the Grand Line.” He stopped there as he could see that all four of them had their jaws dropping with mouths wide open, though only one seemed happy.

“… So, we’ve what?” Ash began. “Time traveled, no, dimension traveled?”

“No.” Reese stated. “We have been in some kind of accident and are in a coma.”

“And all having the same dream, at the same time?” Kia deadpanned. “Incorrect, try again.”

“Okay,” Reese thought a moment and continued, “Then, we’re dead.”

“And, what reincarnated?” Kia shot her down again, “wouldn’t we be newborns then?”

“Aargh!” Reese threw her hands up in the air, “What do you want me to say, that we’re in an anime? I WON’T say it!” she snarled at her sister.

Dru spoke before Kia could laugh, “but you just did, dingus.”

“I give up.” Reese said as she sat back down on the sand with her head in her hands. “So now what?”

“Well,” Dru said, “I guess that depends on what Kia tells us.” She turned to her younger sister. “give us an overview, okay Kia? We don’t want the entire story, and don’t even think of saying something like,” she mimicked her sister’s higher pitched voice, _“Don’t you wish you had watched one piece with me now?”_

Kia snickered. “I only thought it, for like half a second, no worries!” She continued in a more serious tone, “okay, so there are five basic classes of people. Nobles, pirates, revolutionaries, marines, and civilians.” Kuma started listening with renewed interest. It’s not often you met others who believed they were from different world after all. As he listened to the girl explain about the relationship between the government, its allies and those opposing them, he heard the angry mutters from her sisters about injustices and corruption. He was correct in his assessment, Leader would most definitely want to meet them. He listened intently while feigning ignorance, taking mental notes to add to his report. This was most definitely a strange situation. This girl, who was speaking, knew much more than the average civilian, or even marine. In fact, if his guess were correct, she knew much, much more than she was sharing with the others.


	2. The Plan

“I think the best thing to do is prepare to continue with our lives here, while looking for a way home.” Dru stated once Kia had finished. Her sisters looked at her in shock. “What?” Dru asked, as she looked at Kuma out of the corner of her eye. “It’s apparent to me, from our new friend, that we are nowhere near home. We don’t even know how it happened, our only clue being some sort of weird storm, and even if we wanted to just sail around looking for home, we no longer have a boat. Getting a new one here means money, which we don’t have, but the more pressing issues would be a place to sleep, food and water, and some way to earn a living while we figure out how to get back.”

“Not only that,” Kia added, “but if we want to survive here, we need to be stronger than we are, or have friends to protect us. If we aren’t strong enough to stand up for ourselves, then we’ll be walked all over at best, killed at worst. I can’t believe I’m suggesting this, but we may want to consider splitting up…”

“WHAT!?!” her sisters interrupted. “ARE YOU CRAZY?” they shouted in unison, while Kia rolled her eyes. She noticed that Kuma seemed to have perked up at that comment.

“Just listen!” she said. “In order to be able to speak to people that might have answers, we must travel around, which means we’ll run into all sorts of people! We need to be able to have different skill sets, or even make friends with others with skills so that we can handle anything we come across! It would be plain stupid to learn how to defend ourselves, just to get lost the moment we head out!” She finished, much louder than when she started.

“Hmm, good point,” Ash conceded. “But there is a lot you’re not saying. How exactly are we going to get anywhere, let alone to different places we can get the training, jobs, and everything else we need?”

“What skills do we even need?” Reese added, “We should probably plan what we can now.” 

Kia looked thoughtful as she turned to Dru. “Remember what we would say whenever Dad asked us what our dream was?”

Dru looked confused, “we would say, to sail around the world,” she said. “But what does that have to do with anything, Kia?”

Kia kept speaking as if Dru hadn’t asked her a question, “and what became your new dream, Dru?”

Dru stared at Kia, beginning to understand where she was going with this line of questioning. She also responded without answering the question. “So, you think we should use the skills that we already wanted to achieve, rather than trying to fit ourselves into something we need but would hate?” she asked.

“Exactly.” Kia answered. “Dru, you’ve been telling me for years that you were going to work for the UN, and using that, well, we will need a diplomat of sorts. Someone to look at the big picture, come up with tactics and such. You’ll still have to learn to defend yourself, but that can be secondary.” 

“And you surprise me again, Kia,” Dru looked approvingly at her sister, “I didn’t think you were even listening, let alone remembering that one conversation from three years ago.”

“Yeah, well… it may have made an impression,” Kia said. “You were so serious and so passionate about it. I remember thinking that I wished I was passionate about anything as you were about your dream. I mean besides One Piece of course.”

“Of course,” Dru smirked as her sister changed the subject away from her perceived flaw. “And what about you?”

Kia smiled again, knowing her sister wanted to say more but didn’t for her sake. “I’m thinking something like medical training. We’ll need someone with medical knowledge and being able to help others has always been my dream.” Kia paused, then added, “I’ve just never known how to go about it. Plus, the fact that having medical knowledge could help in diplomatic matters at some point.”

“Good thought,” Dru responded. “Not to repeat you, but you’ll also have to be able to defend yourself.”

“Of course,” Kia’s voice made her words sound like “no duh”.

Dru smiled, “and Reese?”

“Reese can speak for herself, thanks,” Reese joined the conversation now, though she had sat as silently as Kuma to this point. “I think the best course of action for me, is to join the marines.”

 _“What?”/ “Excuse me?”_ her sisters said at the same time.

“Hear me out, “Reese said. “You mentioned that the marines have completely different techniques of fighting. Don’t you think that would be important to have on our side?”

“Well sure,” Kia began. “But Reese, you don’t get to just leave whenever you want to. You’ll receive orders you may not agree with, and if you don’t follow them, you would be imprisoned or killed. Or both!” she exclaimed.

“True,” Reese responded. “But, I think it’s pretty obvious I was considering enlisting once I turned eighteen, and this isn’t much different. If they are anything like our marines, they’ll have different options in training for me to choose from.”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Ash commented offhandedly.

"And you?" Kia asked Ash.

"I'm not sure yet, but I want to be able to fight, to help protect us so that we can get back," Ash said, deep in thought. "Other than that... I don't know."

“So,” Dru began, getting back to the issue at hand, “We'd better get started," she said as she began to put her life jacket and backpack back on, and the others followed suit. "We’ll have to find some way off this island first I suppose?” though her question was general, she aimed it towards Kia. “And what island will give us everything we are looking for? 

Kuma took that moment to interject. “You will need my assistance to leave this island. There are no others close enough to get to by makeshift raft.” He determined that they could be helpful allies, with the knowledge he believed they possessed, and even more so if they were able to achieve their goals, so he would assist them in the first step.

Kia looked concerned, as she looked up at Kuma. “And what would your help cost us, Kuma?” she asked with a suspicious tone to her voice. She knew that he knew they were desperate and had no other means of transportation. He had been quiet this entire time, offering nothing. She wasn’t sure if that was because he worried about what she knew, but from what she remembered, he wasn’t one to simply offer help. 

Kuma's gaze turned to Kia, with a slight smirk on his lips. She was taken aback, as she had never seen any sort of smile of his face in either the anime, or the manga, or throughout the day. She was even more unprepared for his response.

“I only need one of you.” Kuma said as his smirk grew. And he left them no time to respond, as he swung his hand towards them, and they each disappeared from Tropska Island one by one, including Kuma himself.


	3. Reese

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this point forward, if the chapter title is someone's name, it is from that person's POV, unless separated with hash marks. Enjoy!

I couldn’t do much when I first landed, so I simply groaned. I felt like I just went through the worst workout of my life, followed by being punched several hundred times, followed by… well it hurt to try to think of anything else. Everything simply _hurt._ And that was besides the fact that I was literally going crazy. Opening my eyes slowly for the second time, hoping that there had been some trick of light or something… and no. It’s official, I’m crazy. Not only did I end up in some sort of fairy tale, now I was all alone in the woods. If that wasn’t bad enough, these were NOT the same “woods” that we had been in front of… before. Would anyone even believe me if I told them I somehow went flying and crash landed somewhere else? I let loose another groan, this time in disgust. Of course, I shouldn’t tell anyone! Never mention this again! Not even to yourself! I’m already destined for the looney bin based on what I’ve already been through.

So, to recap, we sink our family boat, wind up on some sort of tropical island, meet a guy as big as a _building,_ and then he swings at me, and I’m flying and end up here, alone! Urgh, okay, no more wallowing. Get up and figure out how to make your part of the plan happen! Oh, alright, one more wallow then. With a final groan and a sigh, I stood up and looked around. It seemed that I was in luck this time, as there was what looked like a well used path. A short argument with myself later, I started down the path. 

Thirty minutes later, I noticed the beginning signs of civilization. I seemed to be in the outskirts of a town, where there were a few sporadic houses, and what was most likely farmland. In the distance, I could see a tall, white (or blue?) building, perhaps a tower of some kind? It didn’t look like anything I’ve seen, even in pictures, so I spent the remainder of my walk guessing as to its purpose before finally deciding on some sort of government building, such as a city hall. A few minutes later, I saw a man sitting off the side of the road, with some large bags, eating an apple. ‘Well, hopefully he can give me some answers,’ I thought, and approached him. He seemed respectable enough, dressed in work clothes and a bandanna around his neck, which made me assume he was some type of farmer.

“Why hello there!” He spoke with a cheerful, friendly tone just as I opened my mouth. “If ya looking for the town, ya headed in the right direction, though I’m not sure where ya were comin’ from?” He raised his eyebrow at his own question, obviously curious as to why I had come from the woods.

I decided not to get too specific and let him decide the rest for himself. I smiled back and said, “You’re right, I am heading into town. I was dropped off here by some guy my sisters and I ran into, and now I’m going to have to find a place to stay… Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t even introduce myself,” I smiled a slightly more embarrassed smile, “I’m Teresa Cooper.”

“Corbin,” He responded with a nod of his head. “pleasure meetin’ ya.” 

“You as well, Corbin.” I continued to smile. It seemed he wasn’t the type to give information freely, so I’d have to ask. “So, can you tell me anything that I may need to know, since I’ll be staying here for awhile?” I asked. 

“Aye!” He grinned and gave a chuckle. “I could use some company for a bit. Would ya care for an apple?” he asked and tossed one to me as I nodded enthusiastically. He chuckled again as I sat down facing him, and practically inhaled it.

“Ya find yaself on Yotsuba Island. We’re not the biggest island around, but between the farms and orchards, the town, and the marine base, I’m sure ya’d be able to find work and a place to call home. Ya got any skills, or learned a trade?” He asked.

“Well, to be honest, not much,” I answered. My hopes dropped as Corbin’s smile did. “I spent most of my time at school, or studying, but I did spend my summers working in a restaurant.” I saw his smile return, so I elaborated, “Serving food, washing dishes, cleaning up, that sort of thing.” 

“Hmm, mayhaps we can find ya something after all.” He tossed his apple core away and wiped his hands on his pants before holding out a hand to shake mine. “C’mon then, ya help me carry these into town, and I’ll help ya locate the restaurants.”

“Couldn’t ask for a better deal!” I exclaimed, and tossing my own core away grabbed his hand, and shook it wildly. I looked at the bags of apples and noticed the straps that resembled a backpack. Easy enough. I had my own backpack on, but I could wear this backwards, or on my front. I reached out for the larger bag of the two.

“Now, now,” Corbin stated while putting his hand up in a stop motion. “ya should let _me_ get… that…” he trailed off and just stared in amazement. “How did a little thing like ya, pick that huge bag up so easily?” He asked.

“I’m stronger than I look!” I answered. Now this was something I was used to! Other people were always underestimating my strength back home because of my size, and I wasn’t even that small! I smiled happily at him, “Let’s go Corbin! Hope you can keep up!” And laughed as I turned back to the road and started walking.

“Hey, wait up!” He yelled and ran to catch up with the slightly smaller bag on his back. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the walk into town. While Corbin didn’t say much more about the island, or the town we were headed to, he did tell me story after story of the people there. He seemed to know just about everyone, from the farmers, who came to sell their crops in the market, to the business owners, and even the mayor. He had good things to say about all of them, which made me think that he was trying to sell this town as the best place to live. I didn’t mind however. It seemed that this island would most likely be home for the near future, and I did hear Corbin mention a marine base, though he didn’t say anything about it now. That would truly fit into my longer-term goal, so I’d have to see what the requirements were for joining. For now though, I was more than happy to listen to Corbin’s tales, getting to know my future neighbors in a limited way before meeting them. The time passed quickly, and all too soon Corbin interrupted himself and said, “Here we are.”  
I looked at a small booth. It was one of many on the street, and they all resembled the lemonade stand my sisters and I had once built. I turned to Corbin with a question on my face, and he continued before I could ask. “Aye, it’s not much, but everyone knows to come here to buy my apples.” I nodded and hefted the bag off and placed it behind the booth.

“Thanks Corbin. You’ve been a most excellent guide, and friend. When I get a job, I’ll make sure to come buy apples from you myself!” I smiled and held out my hand again to  
shake his.

“Be sure ya do!” He agreed happily, “ah, but one more thing. Take this bundle into the restaurant across the street there. And tell them that Corbin sent ya in to help them out!” He grinned as he shook my hand and placed a smaller bag into my arms.

“Did I mention that you’re the best? Because you are!” I called as I turned and waved and headed across the wide street, only hesitating long enough to take a deep breath, before opening the door and walking inside.

There were some people in the place, but it wasn’t very busy, so I took my time and looked around. It seemed more like a pub than an actual restaurant, but that was even better. I would get a better look at the marines this way, and most likely get any information I needed from the gossip that would always accompany such places. I smiled to myself as I walked slowly towards the bar. There were tables, sure, but not too many, and it seemed as if people could order food at the bar as well. Perfect, just my kind of place. 

“Can I help you miss?” the woman behind the bar asked me, interrupting my thoughts. I must admit, I was a little surprised that such a soft-spoken woman manned the bar, but maybe I wasn’t the only one who could be more than what they seemed.

“Sure, “I replied. “My new friend Corbin asked me to deliver these apples, and mentioned something about you all needing help around here? I’m hoping I can be that help.”

The kind looking woman, brushed a hand over her dark hair, and tucked the loosening pieces behind her ear. She smiled gently at me before holding out her arms for the apples. “I can take those, “she said, and I handed over the bag. “For the other part, you’ll need to speak to the owner. She’s right over there, behind you and to the left at the back table. The one that is writing and has a ‘if looks could kill’ look on her face.” She smiled again at me, with a little more humor this time. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” I responded, “for the info and the luck.” With that, I turned around and headed towards the back table. The bar maid wasn’t kidding, this lady looked like she was ready to slice someone in half. She looked to be in her 40s, with black hair that was just starting to sport some gray. Her skin was smooth, though I could see where lines were forming from her furrowed brow as she poured over her paperwork. Based on how lovely her slacks and blouse were, I guessed that she didn’t work in the pub, but simply owned it. Whelp, no time like now. With that thought, I stepped up closer to the woman and began. 

“Excuse me, ma’am? Can I have a moment of your time please?” I asked politely.

“You can have all my moments, if it means getting a break from this paperwork!” She responded and waved towards the seat across the table for me to sit down. 

I smiled, and thought, ‘good start’ before introducing myself. “My name is Teresa Cooper, and I’ve heard that you are looking for some additional help here.” I rushed to continue before she could tell me otherwise. “I have experience in a restaurant, am a hard worker, and while I can’t cook worth spit, I can clean better than, well, pretty much anyone!” I finished in a somewhat grandiose manner.

“Well, Teresa Cooper,” the owner replied, “I am looking for some help, but to be honest, I only need someone a couple hours a day. As you can see, we aren’t extremely busy.” She watched me, as the smile fell from my face. “Hmm, “she continued, “Not what you were hoping for?” she asked. 

“I apologize,” I sighed. “It’s just that I’m new here, and I need to find a job, a place to stay, and a way to eat… and you’re right,” I added, “based on what Corbin told me, I was hoping for more than that.”

“Ah,” the owner shook her head. “that nosy old coot.”

“Ex-excuse me?” I questioned, because surely, I didn’t hear that right.

“That man just always sticks his nose into everyone’s business.” She put her chin in her hand, and studied me as she continued, “And just always has to help a lady in need.” She ended with a smirk.

“I, well uh, he was really nice, and helpful…” I stammered, trying to be tactful.

“No matter, he’s right after all,” she continued speaking right over Reese’s attempts, “I am the best option for you now. My place has an extra room, and you can eat whatever Ririka makes for the customers. Since there’s not enough work here to cover the expenses, I’ll have you running deliveries, and completing any other errands I’m in need of. You’d also receive a small amount to cover necessities.” She paused and then asked, “Sound fair to you?”

“It sounds more than fair, it sounds too good to be true.” I didn’t hesitate to snatch up the miracle placed in front of me. “We most certainly have a deal!” I then paused as I thought of my mom saying, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So, I asked hesitantly, “But what brought all this on, if you don’t mind me asking?”

The owner laughed, “My name is Celine, but most people around here just call me C.C.” 

“Most call me Reese.” I added and raised my eyebrow in question to the subject change.

“Well, come on Reese,” C.C. said, “I’ll introduce you to Ririka and give you the tour.” They started walking back towards the bar when C.C. lowered her voice so only I could hear her. “And my brother must have seen something special in you, because you’re the first he’s ever sent my way. I’m not about to ignore that.” With a wink and a smirk, C.C. continued into the kitchen, while I stopped and just gaped at her. She turned her head and asked, “You coming, or what?” That snapped me out of my stupor and I hurried to catch up with her. 

‘Okay,’ I thought, ‘so first step taken care of. Next comes the hard part.’


	4. Dru

I must have finally passed out at some point. I’ve never been the type to faint, or stress out to the point of fainting, but I suppose there is a first time for everything. While there may be plenty of just cause for it when finding myself hurtling through the air with no idea of where I’m going, how far I’ll be from my sisters, or if I’ll even land; I still want to face palm at my inability to do or say anything as Reese disappeared and the gigantic man’s hand then came at me. I’m trying to remain calm, but it’s not easy. I’m finding it difficult to simply open my eyes! I can hear people coming and going from the room that I’m in. I remember nothing of landing from my impromptu flight, let alone being brought into a building of some kind and put into a bed. If I open my eyes and my clothes are different, I may just have a panic attack. Well, that or punch someone… it really could be either at this point.

As I become a little more aware, I realize that I still have my life jacket on, which confuses and yet reassures me. No one would change my clothes and put me back in my life jacket, so at least that worry is gone. It seems safe enough to open my eyes.

Hmm. This is a bigger room than I imagined. It looks like some sort of infirmary. Several beds like the one I am currently in are spread out throughout the room, though I am the only one here. I glance around again, trying to decide whether to explore my surroundings to find out where I am. As I get up, I realize that sleeping in a life jacket is not something pleasant, and I immediately strip it off and set about stretching to alleviate the stiffness in my body.

I take some time to think back on what little information I got from Kia before we were separated. To survive, we’d have to train in self defense of some sort, learn more about the world we were now in, and eventually rejoin each other to find a way back home. Mr. Kuma, couldn’t you have waited a bit longer before showing me your flying trick? It would have been so much better if we had some sort of concrete plan! 

The door opened and a girl who looked about my age walked in. Okay, super cute outfit, and I just had to have her hat, like an oversized conductor’s hat? So cute! Her red blond hair was short, just below her chin, and she was carrying a tray in one arm as she opened the door with her other hand. We just looked at each other for a little bit, and I finally brought my arm down from my overhead stretch when she spoke.

“Hi! I see you’re finally awake! You must be ready for this food! Or would you rather get cleaned up first?” she asked.

“I think I’d rather have some information first, if you would be so kind.” I responded in my most polite tone of voice.  
“Oh! How rude of me! My name is Koala, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She said as she put the tray down on the table near my bed and sat on a nearby bed.

“Likewise, and I’m Dru.” I responded, “I was thinking more along the lines of, where am I? Why am I here? Are my sisters here too? Can I leave, or are you keeping me here?” and adding after realizing my top priority, “And most importantly, where’s the bathroom?”

She giggled before responding, “you’re in our base, because you came to join us, I don’t know of anyone else being with you, I guess you could, and right over there” she pointed behind me and to the left at the door marked with the universal man/woman sign for restroom. I wasted absolutely no time and walked straight there without saying another word. 

A few minutes later and feeling much better, I rejoined Koala in the main room of the ’infirmary’ as I had dubbed it. I had gone over her answers in my head, and something needed some clarification. 

“What do you mean, I came to join you? I mean, I don’t even know who you are.” I kept myself calm, though my mind was reeling. I didn’t have high hopes that my sisters would be here, but I was sure I hadn’t joined anyone yet.

She looked at me with a small frown, “That’s what I was told by our chief of staff when he brought you here, that you were recruited.” She smiled and lowered her voice to a whisper, “I admit, we’re all quite curious as to your story.”

I probably took that the wrong way. I simply did not want anyone looking too much into ‘my story.’ How would I even begin to describe the last twenty-four hours? If it has even been that long? I wonder what Kuma told them, no, I wonder what I should tell them. And, if I did, would they even believe me? 

“Ahem.” 

I broke out of my thoughts to the sound the Koala made, surprised that I had somehow completely forgotten about a person right in front of me.

“Sorry about that, but I figured I should ask again.” She said to me, looking apologetic. “Would you like a shower? Or I can always come back later. Everyone wants to meet you, but there is absolutely no rush. We want you to feel comfortable.”

What’s that line Reese always uses? No time like now? Well it’s true. Staying here won’t accomplish anything. “No, that’s my fault,” I said. “I was getting stuck in thought and zoned out for a moment. I would really like a shower, and maybe some fresh clothes if there are any available? Then I’d be willing to talk, as long as I can get as many answers as I give.” Hopefully then, I’d be able to determine where I was, and if this place would serve my needs for the time being.

“Sounds great!” Koala replied as she pulled on my hand towards the door. “We can go see if you like anything in my closet, because we look about the same size. If we go to the requisition officer, you’ll end up with the worst clothes that nobody else wants, and nobody wants to wear those!” I couldn’t help but nod my head along with her, because I wanted to see if all her clothes were as cute as the ones she was wearing.

After spending what some would consider too long in front of Koala’s closet, I finally picked some relatively simple jeans and a t-shirt to borrow. I took a hot shower, dressed, and then followed Koala to their… cafeteria, for lack of a better word. They had a line of people getting food from others that were serving, and tables all around the room. I felt a lot of stares in my direction as we entered and headed towards a table in the back of the room. Koala had me sit, and I watched as she cut into the front of the line next to a man... that had to be the strangest looking man I have ever seen. In fact, as I looked around the room, I noticed that there were people of all shapes and sizes. From very small to giant sized, and others that looked like, well, somewhat animalistic. I quickly looked down at my hands as I realized that I was staring. I didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot, but I was most assuredly aware now, that I was in a completely different _world._ I knew that already, true, but it hit home more so now. You would think meeting a man this afternoon that was over twenty feet tall would have done that, but as I looked up again at the man next to Koala, I found myself a little scared at what exactly I was getting into.

“Never seen a fishman before, huh?”

I turned my head to my right to see a guy with shaggy blond hair and a wicked looking scar around his left eye. He looked young, maybe a few years older than me, and was sitting in a chair next to me. When did he get here? He looked at me expectantly. Oh, right, he asked me a question.

“A what?” I replied. I turned my upper body so that I could see him better. He was wearing black pants and a white shirt with ruffles, and blue vest that reminded me of the covers of the romance novels my mother used to read. And with that thought, my mind conjured a picture of him as a model for a romance novel, and I felt my cheeks turn red as I blushed. Oh great, curse my overactive imagination! 

“A fishman. Part man, part fish? Can breathe above and under water? Although, I don’t know why I’m still asking, it’s pretty obvious you’ve never seen one before.” He smiled at me as he finished, and I’m hoping against hope that it’s not because of my blushing.

“You’re right, I actually have never hea… um MET a fishman before.” Oh geez Dru, could you be any more transparent? I turned back to face front, though I could see him studying me from the corner of my eye. The last thing I needed right now was to be suspicious, and here I go, doing just that with the second person I talk to. Only way to fix it, is to try to change the subject. “So, do you know Koala then? I just met her earlier.”

“Yep, Koala and I tend to work together pretty often.” He said. As if she could sense her name being used, Koala turned to look at us, and I gave her a little wave, noticing that he did the same. This conversation just became somewhat awkward, but no turning back now!

“Oh, that’s nice.” I continued, “She’s really great, I’m sure she is great to work with too.” I barely managed to keep myself from face palming. I couldn’t even handle small talk. Some diplomat I would be. 

“Yeah, she really is.” He paused as he stood up, and then turned to me, “I’d better get back to work, but it was nice meeting you Dru.” 

“Uh, yeah, you too.” As I watched him walk away, I realized that I didn’t get his name. Then I realized I didn’t give him mine either. But he knew it anyway! I put my head in my hands. I was way out of my league here, and I wasn’t very hungry anymore.

\- - - - - 

Sabo was lost in thought as he walked down the hallway towards Dragon’s office. He still wasn’t convinced that this girl was as harmless as Kuma believed, but he was closer to being convinced. She had been staring around the room like a lost little girl, and then the look on her face when she saw Hack? This had been the first time she had ever seen a fishman of any kind before, he was sure. There was no faking her reaction, and she hadn’t been aware that she had an audience. However, it was also obvious that she was hiding things. She had been about to say something else before agreeing that she had never met a fishman before, and then there was the fact that she blushed when she realized someone was watching her. If she was a spy, she was very, very good. It was just difficult at this point to tell if she was. He hoped that Koala would be able to get more information from her. He reached his destination and knocked on the door before opening it and stepping in to give his report.  
\- - - - -

I followed Koala as she gave me a tour of the base. I admit, my mind really wasn’t on the places I was seeing, but rather on what I had learned throughout the meal. I was worried that I somehow would offend Hack, but upon learning that I knew nothing of fishmen, he proceeded to answer any questions I had, and then some. He was quite intimidating at first, seeing a man with scales under his eyes, and gills on his neck, with yellowish skin and blue hair; but he was so patient and kind with me. He and Koala both, would simply beam with pride and righteous anger as they spoke to me about the fishmen, Fishman Island, and the animosity between them and the humans.  
From what Kia had said, and now with this new information, I understood a little more why Kia was so serious about being able to defend ourselves. Nobles and government officials who could basically do whatever they wanted with no repercussions? Pirates who simply did and took whatever they wanted? I knew I was not prepared for this. None of us were. 

“Koala?” I interrupted her as she was explaining the purpose of the building we were in front of, “I think it’s time for us to have that talk.”

“Okay Dru, did you want to go back to your room?” She asked me.

“No, here is fine.” It was a nice night, with a slight breeze, and I could see the stars coming out. I decided to be honest with Koala, well… somewhat honest. “I came here from Tropska Island. I’ve never been anywhere else in this world, and I’m not sure where or how I’ll fit in. All I know is that I want to find my sisters, and somehow get back home.” I kept staring at my feet as I spoke, but looked up at her as I asked, “what exactly is this place Koala?”

She looked back at me for a moment before answering. “It’s not really my place to tell you that Dru. All I can say is that we want what’s best for the world, and we strive to make that happen. I can tell you why I am here. I want things in this world to change, and I can’t wait for someone else to bring that change, I have to help make it happen.” She smiled at me gently and took my hand to lead me back to my room. “Anything else, will have to come from Leader.” 

I stopped walking and pulled her to a stop as well. ‘No time like now, right Reese?’ I thought as I looked into Koala’s eyes. “Then you’d better take me to him.” I declared. She smiled a genuine smile and turned us around. 

“Let’s go!” She exclaimed and led me off at a much faster pace. I was thoroughly lost by the time she stopped and knew I would never find my way again without a guide. She reached out and knocked on a door. We heard a voice call “enter” and she cracked open the door and spoke to whoever was inside. I started to feel a little nervous but steeled myself with thoughts of my sisters. We needed to get stronger, and this was just the first step of many. 

Koala stepped back and opened the door wider and gestured me inside. I paused, and asked “can you come in with me?” I followed her gaze to the man at the desk. He nodded, and she stepped inside with me, closing the door behind her. She stepped forward and gestured to the man.

“Dru, this is out Leader. His name is Dragon.” She then gestured to me, “Dragon, sir, this is Dru, she’s the one that came here this morning.” 

“Hello.” I said. I really thought I should say more, but my voice wasn’t cooperating. Dragon wasn’t physically intimidating because of his size, he was the normal height for a man from what I was used to. However, his long black hair, and his dark eyes, plus the design that reminded me of tribal tattoos on the left side of his face was intimidating. The respect that Koala showed him added to this fact. He was dressed simply in a long sleeve shirt and pants, but his entire being screamed ‘power’ to my mind, and I found myself remaining quiet.

“It’s nice to finally meet you Dru Cooper. Kuma has told me quite a bit about you and your sisters.” I gaped at him and was embarrassed when I started tearing up.

“Did he say anything about where they are?” I asked. “I’m anxious to find them.”

“Ah,” he nodded, replying, “he did not give me specifics, but said that he sent them where they would find what they needed.”

“What they… what they _needed?!”_ I’ll admit, I got a little heated at that comment.

“Yes.” He was still so calm, it was like I hadn’t even spoken. “Which begs the question, what is it that _you_ are needing from us here, Dru Cooper?”

That took all the wind out of my sails. He didn’t invite me to sit, but I collapsed into a chair anyway. I was literally the worst almost diplomat ever. But… I sat up as an idea crossed my mind. Diplomacy was about compromise, right? So, I’d have to reveal some things about myself, but then I’d be able to get answers as well. I looked him in the eye and offered. “I’d like to tell you my story, Dragon sir, and in return I’d like to hear yours.” I saw Koala stiffen, so I thought perhaps I went about this wrong, but Dragon merely looked thoughtful before smiling at me.

“Agreed.” He said.

We spent the next few hours talking, after swearing both of them to secrecy about myself and my sisters, I told them what I could about our journey, as well as knowing what we did about their world due to a “story.” I wished I could answer their questions, but I couldn’t even remember the names of the main characters. I told them about our meeting with Kuma, and how Kia recognized him, and Dragon nodded along, so I assumed Kuma had informed him of the event. Dragon then proceeded to explain in greater detail the situation we had found ourselves a part of. The corruption of the government and the marines, that he had decided to be the change in the world, rather than waiting for change to occur. He didn’t tell me much about the people he had but did mention that they were serving all over the world, infiltrating, looking for recruits, helping others to save themselves. As he said this, it struck a chord within me. These people could also help my sisters and I to save ourselves. 

“I don’t know what the future has in store, but I know that once I find my family, we will be looking for a way back to our home.” I commented. “Until that time, I would happily join your cause.” Koala clapped her hands, ready to give me a hug, and Dragon’s eyes also lit up before I continued. “however, I’m afraid that I must ask for another favor in return.” 

Dragon frowned, and said, “We don’t normally let our recruits give stipulations. What favor would you ask?”

I took a deep breath. If he refused, I don’t know what I would do. “We made a decision before we were separated, that we would continue our dreams, and we would train to be able to defend ourselves. The favor would be that you help me in both endeavors.”

Dragon looked thoughtful while Koala spoke up, “What’s your dream, Dru?”

“To be able to help others communicate and get along.” I replied. “It is my dream to be a diplomat.”

Dragon’s smile returned to his face, and he stood from behind his desk. I also stood as he came around it to stand in front of me. He looked at me and said, “We would help you with your dream, even without a bargain between us.” I smiled back at him. “It seemed we are in agreement again, Dru Cooper.” He spoke without looking away from my face, “Koala, it appears we have a new recruit, who will need a room. Please take Dru to the requisitions officer and get her everything she needs.” 

Koala stood as well, giving a jaunty little salute, before leading me to the door. I stopped and turned as she pulled the door open. “Thank you, sir.” I gave a little nod of my head in gratitude for what this man was doing for me.

“Welcome to the Revolutionary Army, Dru.” He smiled and sat down behind his desk, as Koala closed the door. 

“Alright,” she said, “sleepover tonight, requisitions tomorrow!” She grinned at me, and I smiled back. 

“Sounds perfect,” I said.


	5. Ash

Okay, that was something new. I’ve taken plenty of flights, but that was in a whole different ballpark. I even held my breath for as long as I could before giving in, then realizing I had some sort of bubble of air around me so that I could breathe. After landing, I have no idea how long I simply laid there in the sand. Pretty cool way of getting around, with a harsh landing at the end. Looking back on it, I probably would be okay with doing it again, but Kuma is still getting a punch for sneaking up on me like that. For such a huge guy, he moves extremely fast.

I stand up, and walk a few paces, scanning the area in all directions. It’s obvious that he sent me somewhere new. I believe I’m on an island, as I can see the shoreline curving towards me in both directions. It’s also dark, and extremely foggy. I can’t really say for sure if it was nighttime, but I suppose it really doesn’t matter either way. It’s a creepy island, complete with creepy castle in the distance; but castle equals shelter, with a strong possibility of food, so that’s where I am headed. I glance back, and notice the area where I landed looks like a giant paw of some kind... weird.

As I walk, I don’t hear the normal bug and animal life, which adds to the creepy factor, but it could be worse. I’m not going to say _how,_ because seriously, that’s just asking for the universe to spit on me. I’d prefer to not have another adventure, I’m still in the middle of the last one.

The castle looms as I get closer and notice a couple of lights on outside. That’s one mystery down, it’s definitely dark due to it being late in the evening. “See?" I tell myself aloud, solve each mystery one at a time, and the place will no longer be creepy.

That’s when I hear the heavy breathing behind me. I don’t stop walking, but my blood freezes in my veins as I hear it. I wouldn’t exactly call it human, but it sounds like it is coming from directly behind and above me, which is too high off the ground for most… animals…  
I turn around slowly, because, my imagination is much worse than what would be there, right? I gape at the sight of a huge baboon wearing… armor? And carrying a sword so huge it could split me in half! We simply stare at each other for a moment before I take off running towards the castle. I don’t like to run away, but where there’s one, there’s probably more than one, and I can’t fight a giant monkey, let alone more than one! Plus, its got a sword, and I've got nothing but my bare hands! Shut up Ash! Focus on running!

I ran as fast as I could, and I’m really lucky that there was some semblance of a road leading to the castle at this point, because running from monkeys, in a forest, was a recipe for dead Ash. _'Yes! Up ahead, the gateway to the castle!'_ I pushed on even harder, and passed under a stone archway, and headed up towards the castle. I noticed at this point, that I could no longer hear them right behind me, so I glanced back and came to a stop. Facing back the way I came in, I put my hands on my knees and tried to get my breath back while also trying to understand what I was seeing. There were three of the baboons, and they looked angry, and for some reason, they didn’t dare approach the archway. They would inch closer and finally jump back as if they were afraid they would get zapped or something. I wonder if there was some sort of electric fence like we had for dogs back home? That’s dumb Ash, like these baboons are someone’s pets?

I turned and glanced back at the castle… I suppose anything is possible. But since the baboons weren’t chasing me anymore, I took my time to go to the front door, looking around the grounds as I did. I couldn’t see much, but there was plenty of vegetation, and while it didn’t look like it was being taken care of, it also wasn’t overgrown. I turned to the door, and grabbed the knocker, and banged it loudly. Then I waited and waited. I hated when people don’t give to time to answer the door before they rang the bell again, so I gave it a few minutes. If the person who lived here was in the very back, it would take awhile to come up here. I finally knocked again, and after what seemed like twenty minutes of knocking and waiting, I decided to simply try the door. And… it opened.

Okay, brilliant, now what? “Hello?” I called, but it came out more like a whisper. I cleared my throat and tried again, “HELLO?” I shouted as loud as I could, because if they didn’t hear the knocking, they would hear me either. Now, I’ve read enough stories to know that people who simply walk into others’ houses and make themselves at home, end up having bad things happen to them. So, I decided to stay in the entry. 

I truly had every intention of staying there until the owner of the house came back. But that was hours ago, and I was very hungry, cold, and needed the bathroom, so I decided to do a short amount of exploring. I found a bathroom and a blanket within the first 10 minutes, so I decided that my luck was holding enough to find the kitchen. But, what I found, was SO much better. 

I opened the door, and turned on the light, and saw the most awesome home gym ever. It was basically a dojo, in the castle. There were weapons hanging on three walls with a mirror running the length of the final wall, as well as mats on the floor. I _really_ wanted to touch every single weapon, but I knew my luck wasn’t that good, so I let them be. I looked in the mirror, and grimaced. Wow, I was looking good! I took off my life jacket, and finger combed through my hair, trying to tame it back into style. When that didn’t work, I simply turned away from the mirrors. A shower sounded amazing, but I didn’t want said owner to come home while I was in their shower. I turned off the light, and left the room, taking my life jacket and blanket back to the entryway. I could at least try to warm up and catch some sleep while I waited. I curled up in a chair and fell asleep.

\- - - - - 

He stared at the humandrills. They never came this close to his castle, and indeed, once they saw him, they ran off, back to the woods where they lived. Still, it was odd that they would even be here, as if waiting for something… or someone. He looked up to his castle. He wasn’t sure if he left the outside lights on, but one thing was certain. If anyone dared to invade his home, they would sorely regret it very soon.

He found himself simply staring again. There was a girl, of all things, asleep on his armchair. The insanity of this day continued to rear its head. First, the pirates he encountered, seemed... happy to have him destroy their ship and leave them floating on the remains, then he spent his afternoon with Red-Hair and his crew, which was by definition insanity, and to top it off, he now has a little girl in his home. These types of days were the reason why he secluded himself here. He really didn’t want to deal with this now, so he simply walked past the girl, and continued up the stairs to his room, where he promptly forgot all his problems and went to sleep.  
She opened her eyes and watched him stride up the stairs. It took a moment for her fuzzy brain to engage, but once she realized what had happened, she smiled. The owner came home, and didn’t kick her out, yet. Tomorrow may change that, but for tonight, she could stay. She changed position and fell right back asleep.  
  
\- - - - - 

“What are you doing here?”

Though the words were not spoken loudly, I awoke immediately and looked around for what had startled me. My eyes focused on the tall, dark man looming over me. I just stared, not quite sure what to say, and knowing how well sarcasm flew from my mouth it was better to stay quiet. I wondered how difficult it was to shave in order to get those exact points on his mustache and sideburns. I tilted my head to get a better view point, and saw his eyes narrow at me.  
What… his eyes. They were… golden. And piercing, so much so, that they seemed to pierce right through me. They made him that much more intimidating, and I quickly looked anywhere else. He fit any imaginings of a pirate I may have had; with his black boots and pants, white pullover shirt with the frilly collar which was open and showing his chest. He also wore necklace of some sort, with a large cross pendant.

 _“WELL?!?"_ He snarled suddenly.

“Oh, um, sorry… what?” I stammered out in reply, because I honestly had no idea what he had even said previously. I looked up again, only to freeze when I looked into his eyes. 

_“What… are… you… doing… here?”_ He said slowly, and it seemed he was trying to hold himself back from snarling again.

How do I even begin to answer this? The truth? “Yeah, so, we ran into this humongous giant guy, and he hit me- or something- next thing I know, I’m flying and then crash landing on this island!” I was talking louder and faster as I went on, “It was dark, and some crazy monkeys were chasing me, I ran up here, and they left me alone, so I decided to stay and wait for whoever lived here to get back, so I could get some help and fell asleeponthechairsorryaboutbarginginbytheway.” I began panting as I hadn’t stopped to breathe during the explanation. He didn’t say anything, just continued to glare at me, though one dark eyebrow was cocked up in a questioning fashion. I decided to press my luck. “So, can you help me get a ride out of here? I need to find my family.”

"No," he said.

“Wow, that’s final. Well, I can’t really blame you, I mean, it was a pretty big favor to ask. Alright, so do you know how often ships come, maybe I can catch a ride out with one?”

“This is my island, no one comes here,” he stated. He crossed his arms and gave me another glare.

“Look,” I said, “I realize that this is inconvenient for you, but I’m trying to get out of your way, honest! I just need a way off this island!” 

“And then what?” he asked. “Where will you go?”

I paused, “Okay, so I haven’t thought that far yet. I have things I need to do, so I have to go.”

He snorted, “hmph, good luck with that. I doubt you’ll get very far before the humandrills kill you.”

“The what?” I asked.

“The monkeys as you called them.” 

I was beginning to think that he only had two facial expressions, anger and disgust. He wielded both like a champion however, as he looked at me as if I was the lowest person he had ever met. I was starting to get a little annoyed myself! It’s not like I asked to be here!

“If you want to be rid of me so badly,” I stated hotly, “you might try helping me instead of sneering at me.”

“It is not my duty to _help_ you,” He replied. “If you are staying here, you must pull your weight. There are meals to cook, the entire castle and grounds to maintain, the garden to weed and water, and laundry to clean.” With that, he turned around  
and walked further into the castle.

“What… wait just a minute! If you think I’m going to be your maid, you are sorely mistaken!” I yelled as I jumped up to follow him. I rushed through the doorway and stopped suddenly as I saw he had turned and was glaring again.

“If you want a place to sleep and food to eat, you will do so,” he said stonily. “I did not ask you here, yet you were sent nonetheless. You are free to try to leave, though you will most certainly die in the attempt. Those are your options. Stay or try to leave. You know the consequences for each.” He turned again and went outside.

I stared after him. What a pompous, rude… Yet, what kind of choice did I have? If I left, those humandrill things would tear me to shreds! If I stayed, I’d become Mr. Bighead’s servant! These were not good options. 

I looked around the room I had run into. Of course, he would lead me into the kitchen. I smirked. He’ll probably change his mind once he samples my cooking. I took my time and looked through all the cupboards to familiarize myself with the place. Then I gave myself a much longer, more in depth tour of the castle. If it was going to be my home, then I needed to know where everything was. Time passed, and after I had found and claimed a room for myself, taken a shower, and dressed in clothes that I found in my closet that were only slightly too big, I noticed that it was afternoon, and I was starving! I retraced my steps back to the kitchen and started to make myself a sandwich. After a moment’s thought, I decided to make two. If Mr. Bighead wanted one, then he could have the other, and if he didn’t then I’d have another for tomorrow. I ate my sandwich and realizing how hungry I still was, I ate the second sandwich too. Feeling guilty, who knows why, I made another sandwich for Mr. Bighead. I don’t even know his name and I’m feeling bad for not making him food! This is ridiculous. 

Leaving the sandwich in the fridge, I went outside. The weather was nice, now that most of the fog had burned away. I started making mental notes on all the work that needed to be done out here. Sometime in the past few hours, I had decided to go ahead and work while I was here, thinking that perhaps Mr. Bighead would find it in his teeny tiny heart to help me, after I helped him with his house. True, I didn’t really expect it to happen, but I didn’t have much choice. Doing nothing wasn’t an option, and if this guy was able to get past the humandrills, then I could learn something from him at least. It was worth a shot at any rate. I looked at the large vines in front of me, that were climbing over the portcullis in the backyard. ‘No time like now,‘ I thought and got to work. I didn’t have any tools that I could find, so I used my hands. By the time I was done, I was hot, sweaty, and covered in scratches. But, I felt like I was doing something towards meeting up with my sisters. It wasn’t much, but I would work as long and as hard as I had to. 

The next few days seemed to blur together. I didn’t see Mr. Bighead at all, which admittedly, was kind of nice. I did notice that the extra servings of my meals that I made were gone, so at least I could say I was holding up my end of the… demands he gave me. I also started incorporating what I would call a workout of sorts into my daily routine. It was mostly just stretches but helped with my fatigue and soreness after working on the landscaping each day. I also started gathering things that I would find that I could use to make my own exercise equipment. Heavy items became weights, ropes were used with pulleys for my version of a rowing machine. Every few days I would come up with more ideas and add to my workout. I got to the point where I could hardly stay awake in the evening, I was so exhausted. I had never worked this much. My dance and karate classes as well as my workouts in the gym, never used my muscles in the same way that I was now. I felt horribly out of shape and was quite embarrassed about it.

Of course, that embarrassment paled when compared to the following day, when Mr. Bighead showed up during a workout and _corrected_ my form. I was barely able to contain the venom that wanted to spew from my mouth. I don’t know exactly why, but I knew that blowing up at him would give him some sort of satisfaction, like he would have won. I couldn’t let him win, no matter how much he aggravated me.

Overall, however, my time was my own, and I spent it how I pleased. As long as I did the daily chores, he didn’t complain about what I did, or when. I also had no idea what he did with his time, as I would go days or even weeks without seeing him. That was no bother, however, as we barely spoke, and when we did it was more often than not him correcting something I was doing.

One night, I decided to find the room I had seen when I first arrived, the dojo room with the weapons on the walls. I searched for awhile before I found it, on the ground floor, and close to Mr. Bighead’s room. I walked in and looked around in awe. There were so many amazing swords of all different kinds. I also saw a few axes, as well as daggers, hanging like trophies on the walls. I walked slowly along the wall, examining each one as I went. I finally reached for a sword, one on the smaller side. It was slightly curved, and somewhat like the swords from movies I had seen. I grinned and thought to myself, ‘aargh, ye landlubbers! Make way for captain Ash!’ and begun having an imaginary duel with my foes.

\- - - - -

He watched from the hallway as she picked up the small sword. ‘This girl has some sort of death wish,’ he thought, but paid closer attention anyway. It seemed she had a small amount of skill, but she was doing everything wrong. Her posture, her grip, her swing, even her thrusting was pathetic. Was she self taught? He noticed how she would incorporate her non-sword hand, and even kicks to her movements, and he wanted to either face palm, or demand that she stop. There was one thing, however, that made him continue to watch. Her face. Her eyes had a glint that he had yet to see during the weeks since she had arrived. She was smiling, thoroughly enjoying this; this solitary moment between her, and her sword. He looked a moment more, then silently exited the hallway and went to his room. ‘The journey would be incredibly long,‘ he mused, ‘but she has taken the first step.’ 

\- - - - -

 

With a huge bang, the bedroom door flew open, and so did my eyes. I jumped up, into a crouched position on top of my blankets, ready to fight whatever was attacking me. My eyes fell on the doorway, where Mr. Bighead was standing with his arms crossed. Did he really just…

“Did you seriously just _kick_ my door in? What is your problem?!?” I yelled. Far too many times recently his answers to all my questions were, “because” and I was not taking that answer again today.

“My problem, as you call it, is that your work here is unsatisfactory. Therefore, in order to have you leave as soon as possible, it is apparent that I must assist you in your attempt to survive. Starting today, you will train in addition to your other duties.” I gaped at him as he continued. “You have much to learn, and it will take time, years even.” 

“Listen here, I don’t know who you think you are…”

“Not that it matters,” he interrupted me, “but I have many titles. Swordsman, Warlord, Hawkeye… but you can call me Master for now.”

Did his head just expand? I think I saw it grow just now in my shock at his words. And what did he mean _start_ training. He knows I have been working myself into the ground. I tried to speak, but I just spluttered through my anger.

“Hmm…you must learn to not wear your emotions so that your enemy may so easily read them.” He continued, “answer me this then, do you wish to leave this island?”

“You know I do.” I answered through my gritted teeth.

“And do you want to be able to protect yourself, and your family as you search for your homeland?” he asked.

I paused, so he had been listening that one day I poured out all my troubles… but really, the only answer to this was, “Yes.”

“Then you will follow my instructions without question or complaint, and perhaps someday in the future, you will be _able_ to do so.” He practically growled the last part, and I could tell that this was not something he wanted to do. So, why was he? Was it as he said, he simply wanted me gone? I had to know, and I spoke quickly as he turned to walk away.

“Why?” Such a loaded question. There were so many answers that I wanted, why was he doing this? Why had he let me stay in the first place? Why not just leave me to my fate? 

“That is irrelevant,” he answered, still facing away from me. “Just know that I do not give second chances, Ashley.”

“Wait, you know my name?” He looked over his shoulder with a scowl. Right, irrelevant. “Fine, so you know my name. And yours is?” I asked.

“Dracule Mihawk. Now get dressed, you are wasting time.” He started to walk away again, but I wasn’t quite finished. My options were limited, but I knew that this was a chance I couldn’t let pass me by.

“Thank you, Master Mihawk.” I said, and he stopped, surprised. “You are obviously able to defend yourself against the humandrills, and who knows what else, so for now I will swallow my pride and learn.” With that, I got off of my bed, and started walking towards my closet.

“We shall see.” I heard him say as he finally walked away. I went over and shut the door to my room and began looking for suitable clothes to wear. I had no idea what he had in store, but if the wicked sounding tone of his voice just now was any indication, I was in for a grueling day. “Perfect,” I said with a sigh.


	6. Kia

I was _literally_ flying though the air. There were so many things that I thought I was missing out on back home, and this was definitely one of them! I would travel this way all the time if I could! True, not being able to move while flying did put a slight damper on the experience, and not knowing where I was going to land was also not very fun… but otherwise, awesome!  


A few hours later, the novelty had worn off, so I decided to take a nap. I awoke later when I felt myself angling downward and looked to see that I was approaching an island. That was the good news. The bad news was that everything was white, as in snow. I know, snow can be a good thing, but not now, and not to me. Snow meant cold, and I can’t tolerate cold on a good day, let alone when I am dressed in a t-shirt, shorts and life jacket. As I continued to sail closer to the island, I realized that it looked familiar in some way, although I couldn’t immediately figure out why. Obviously, I had never been here, so it had to have been in One Piece at some point for me to have seen it. A light bulb came on in my mind, as I realized I would never be able to remember everything that I knew about this world. I mean, I knew I was obsessed with it, but only with specific people! And who knows if those people would even be as I expected! Look at Kuma, for example. He was different than I had expected, and that smirk he gave me was totally out of left field, based on what I knew of him.  


I continued to grow ever closer to the island, but I wasn’t descending as much as I would have thought. Perhaps I was going to fly on past this island, which would be great, honestly! I was now close enough that I could see villages spread out through the snow that blanketed everything. Okay, that’s a pretty cool view, I must admit. Then of course, I looked up, and saw that I was heading right for the mountainside. I started yelling, and nobody looked up, so I’m fairly certain they couldn’t hear me. I decided that I could not reasonably claim whether I had good or bad luck, as I landed in a large bank of snow… right on the edge of a cliff. I was sprawled on my stomach in the snow, and when I opened my eyes, all I saw was the fall. I crawled away from the edge as quickly as I felt was safe, and just laid there panting. That’s when the cold hit me. I started shivering like mad, as the cold seeped through to my bones. I had to get moving, and find someplace warm, because otherwise I was in BIG trouble.  


I stood up slowly, rubbing my hands over my arms in an attempt to warm them, and finally deciding to stick my hands in my armpits. Don’t judge me, okay? I heard somewhere that it was one of the warmest places on the human body, and I did not want to get frostbite! I looked around quickly and saw some type of huge castle-looking building about a mile away, so I started walking in that direction. It was slow going, as I was so cold I was barely able to keep moving, as well as trying to walk in snow with canvas sneakers on. Everything and everywhere was becoming numb, and I started singing anything I could think of just to keep a rhythm to move to. I looked at my feet, concentrating on each step as I sang choruses of songs and commercial jingles, while struggling to breathe, in the frigid, thin air. I heard a sound, and looked up, only to find that I couldn’t focus enough to see who it was. It was definitely a person though, and I thought, ‘I’m saved!’ That's when I fell. I have no idea how long I rolled through the snow, rolling faster and faster as I headed down the mountain, because everything went dark.

I groaned as I became aware, and immediately started into a coughing fit, so much so that I thought I may just hack up a lung. When I finally was able to breathe again, I noticed a young man in front of me holding out a cup. I just stared, mainly because I was unsure of where I was, or how I got there.

“Drink some water, it will help ease your throat,” he said to me, lifting my hand to grasp onto the cup.

“Th-ack,” and I began coughing again before I could even say thank you.

“Don’t try to speak, you’ll only aggravate it,” he frowned at me as if disappointed in my actions. So, I nodded my thanks and sipped at the water. I shivered and realized that though I was much warmer than before, I was still feeling chilled. I set the cup down on the bedside table and reached to pull the blanket back up. I froze as I looked at my sleeve. The long sleeve of the shirt I was wearing that I had not been wearing before. I looked up with an accusing glare at my would-be rescuer.

“Oh!” He blushed as he realized why I was glaring. “No, I didn’t, I mean I wouldn’t! My neighbor, Judith, she helped you get into dry clothes, I swear it!” A sweat drop rolled down the side of his face as he tried to assure me. I nodded, and pulled the blanket up to my neck, though I couldn’t quite get rid of my non-trusting glare. 

“I’m sorry,” he added, hanging his head. “I’m trying to find a doctor, but I’ve been unsuccessful so far. There are so few left, and I know the king won’t help.” He brought his hand to his face and started massaging his temples. “I won’t give up, but I’m hoping that perhaps between Judith and myself we can get you what you need to be well.”

My stony glare melted at his words, because it seemed he really was trying to help. I could feel the ache in my throat and knew that I probably was coming down with something. However, I was also sure I could live through it without a doctor. All I wanted right now was to sleep some more, so I nodded again and nestled back down onto the pillow, making a cocoon of sorts out of the blankets. I could hear him continue to speak , but I couldn’t make out the words as I fell deeply asleep.

 

When I again awoke, I found myself alone, but noticed there was a fire burning strong in the fireplace in the corner of the room. I still didn’t feel well, but I was no longer freezing, and felt it my duty to at least thank my rescuer. After looking all through the small cottage, I found no trace of him, nor anyone else. So, I retreated back to the warmth of the bedroom, and climbed back into bed. I must have looked strange having one blanket up around my head as a hood, but it was so cozy and warm, that I didn’t care. I reclined back against the headboard and decided now was as good a time as any to think. I was both lucky and unlucky in having the knowledge that I possessed. I could make some decisions that would hopefully let me avoid any serious injury or trouble, however, I could inadvertently change the course of history, leading to some unspeakable tragedy. I’m not usually a doom and gloom type of person, but all I could think of was how badly I could mess things up. My sisters may do the same, but they would have no knowledge that they were doing so. 

That was the other problem, my supposed knowledge. I frowned as I tried to remember some of the more important events that either had or would occur. If this was some sort of dream, I’d be the first in line to sign up as a Straw Hat Pirate. As crazy as everything was, I knew it wasn’t a dream, so I couldn’t do whatever I wanted. There may not be a happy ending here. We would have to make our own happy ending. I knew my sisters would do all they could to be prepared for whatever we would face, and I would have to do the same. 

I head a door open and close, and footsteps coming towards my room, followed by a small woman peering into the room, before she smiled and spoke.

“You’re awake, that’s a relief,” she stated. “Zachary told me that you had woken earlier, but after all this time, I assumed he was mistaken.”

“A-A-All…” I croaked out. I tried clearing my throat, with limited success. I ended up whispering, as that was all I was capable of. _“all this time?”_ I asked.

“Well yes,” she answered. “Now don’t you go straining yourself.” She added with a frown for me. She came closer and put the back of her hand to my forehead. “You’ve been asleep for nearly two days. Though it seems to have done you some good, as your temperature seems cooler.”

My wide eyes met her chocolate colored ones. I reeled as I thought that the nap I had taken was actually more than thirty hours of sleep. _“thank you.”_ I whispered, _“for taking care of me.”_

“You’re welcome, though I’ll be honest, I only did because Zachary begged,” she placed her hand aside her mouth and said mischievously, “pretty pathetically I might add.” She straightened herself upright and continued. “Now then, my name is Judith, I live next door. What about you dear?”

I looked at Judith, with her kind smile, her dark hair pulled away from her face, and her winter clothes, she reminded me a little of my mom whenever we went camping.

_“Kiana,”_ I hoarsely replied. _“I got separated from my sisters and left here. I’m not sure where I am, or how I’ll find…”_ I broke off, and looked away, because getting emotional would solve nothing, and I hate having people feel sorry for me.

“Hmm, well that certainly explains things a bit.” She sat on the bed at my side, and I straightened up at the serious look on her face. “You are currently in Robelli town, in the home of my neighbor, Zachary. He asked me to look in on you, as he went to try to find a doctor.” She placed her hand on my shoulder and leaned towards me. “I’m not sure if anything has happened, but he has been gone since yesterday, and I’m starting to worry.” 

_“What could happen?”_ I asked. _“Isn’t the doctor nearby, in the town?”_ This was not sitting right with me. Judith’s eyebrow cocked upwards as she looked at me again.

“You are not from our island, are you Kiana?” I slowly shook my head no. “Ah, no wonder you almost froze to death,” she said with a smile, and a hint of teasing in her voice. Her smile fell, and she continued on, “you see, our king has outlawed anyone practicing medicine except for the twenty doctors that serve him. In order to see one of them, we must go to the king, and beg for his assistance.” My mouth dropped slightly open. “Yes,” she answered, thinking that my shock and horror was my realization of what her words meant. “I’m afraid that Zachary may have gone to get help for you from the king, and since he hasn’t returned yet, I worry that he will not return at all.”

My horror previously had been at my realization of why the island had looked so familiar, and now it was coupled with the thought that this stranger, Zachary, had brought himself harm because of me. I must have been in pretty bad shape for him to think that I needed a doctor so badly that he would need to put his own life at risk. 

_“Oh no…”_ I whispered, closing my eyes. I was in Drum Kingdom, with King Wapol as the reigning monarch… this was bad.

\- - - - - 

 

Dalton opened his eyes as he heard commotion on the other side of the door. The dungeon door slammed open, and he saw some of the soldiers dragging in a man who looked unconscious. They opened the cell next to his, and laid the man onto the floor, then turned, locking the cell behind them. One soldier left the room, but the other, a man he considered a friend turned back to him.

“Dalton, why do you insist on doing this?” he asked. “Simply apologize to the king, and you can come back to us. We need our commander back.”

Dalton simply looked at his friend, then shook his head. It was the same story, every few days. He knew however, that nothing with Wapol was ever simple. Wapol would not forgive and forget. He would make Dalton pay for choosing to go against his decree, in small vindictive ways. True, he was in the dungeon but Wapol did not want him dead, so he was cared for. Dalton was well liked among the soldiers, as well as the best option for commander of the king’s forces. Wapol was trying to break him, make him dependent on the king. That was something that Dalton could not live with, so he preferred to continue living in the dungeon.  
The guard, rejected again, turned and left the dungeon, climbing back up the stairs from where he had come. Dalton stood up and went over to the bars that separated him from the new man. He did not recognize him, so he must not be a soldier. That meant he was most likely a civilian. The thought boiled the blood in his veins. The king, the man who was supposed to care and protect his subjects was the most cruel and hurtful of all in the kingdom. There was little he could do now, he would have to wait and hope that this man was not seriously injured. He wouldn’t know for sure until he woke and could tell him. He settled down onto the floor by the bars and thought, this was something he was well versed in; waiting and hoping.

Dalton opened his eyes again as he heard the soft moaning; the man was beginning to stir. He sat and waited until he could tell that he was conscious before speaking to him.

“Hello, my friend, how do you feel?” he asked gently, so as not to startle the man.

“um… alright I think,” came the reply after a moment. Dalton smiled, this was good news.

“Is there anything I can get you?” he asked. “Perhaps a drink?” While this man was undoubtedly accused of some great crime and would receive the bare minimum in food and water, Dalton was luckier that his men constantly snuck him extra rations and gave him clean water every day. This was the first time however that someone was placed in a nearby cell, and Dalton was eager to hear any news about the kingdom.

“Yes, please” his voice croaked out. Dalton grabbed his water skin, and reached it through the bars towards the prostrate man. He sat up slowly and took the water bag, though after several attempts, he was unable to open it. Dalton reached his hand out again for the water skin and after taking it, opened it and passed it back carefully. The man nodded gratefully, sipping at the water. 

“Slowly, or you’ll choke,” Dalton said. A moment later, the man did exactly that, coughing and spluttering as he tried to regain his breath. He panted, and finally calming himself, looked up to meet Dalton’s gaze. 

“You are Dalton, the commander of the guard, aren’t you?” he asked. 

“Well, not the commander any longer but yes, I am Dalton,” he replied. “the guards here were once my fellow soldiers, so they have been accommodating. They also really enjoy their canasta games.”

_‘That is not something I really needed to know…’_ the man thought. “Well,” he replied. “My name is Zachary, and I am from Robelli town.”

“Ah!” Dalton grinned as he realized he could get the information he sought. “And how are things in Robelli, and the kingdom? I’ve been here for quite some time now, I’ve been concerned.”

“It hasn’t changed much since you were imprisoned Dalton,” Zachary began. “There are no doctors left on the island besides the king’s twenty M.D.s. There is little to no hope left in the towns and the people. The king uses this to subjugate and harass the people, claiming anything he desires as his own and if anyone were to object, they and their entire family are banned from any medical treatment for the rest of their lives.”

“What?” Dalton gasped. He knew it was bad, but this was even worse than he thought. Wapol, the most heinous of rulers, had somehow become even more awful. It was hard to believe, yet he knew Zachary spoke the truth. “How can he do this?” he spoke to himself.

“He regularly tells us, that it is his right as the king.” Zachary answered, as though the question was posed to him. “He doesn’t care about us, and we know it. We simply try to do whatever he says and beg for any medical needs we may have… so that we can survive. For now, that is all we can do.”

Dalton hung his head. His shame was greater than he could bear. That he had ever stood with this vile man, protecting him, _defending_ him! How could he ever atone for his actions?

“Dalton?” Zachary questioned, seeing his face. “Are you… alright?”

“No, not really, but it cannot be helped now.” Dalton replied quietly. “So, Zachary, how then did you end up here?” Dalton listened as Zachary regaled him with his story, that sounded like a tall tale rather than fact. A young woman, appearing out of nowhere in the mountains, dressed as if she belonged on a summer island rather than a winter one. How he had gone to the king to beg for treatment for the girl, and been turned away as he had nothing to offer in exchange. How he had refused to leave, and finally been beaten and taken to the dungeon. That left only one question, “what happened to the girl then?” Dalton asked.

“Oh, I believe she is alright for now, my neighbor Judith said she would look in on her, help her if she could. I can only hope she will live.”


	7. Reese

I walked back towards town, having finished my deliveries for the day. It was strange to think that it had only been a few weeks since arriving here, yet I was quickly feeling at home. C.C. had kept me busy, just as she promised. Every morning she came to the restaurant with the day’s deliveries and other miscellaneous work for me to complete. Every evening I was in the restaurant, helping Ririka with serving and cleaning. Every few days Ririka or I would have the night off, so we would serve sandwiches (which even I couldn’t mess up) when she was off, and C.C. would chip in and help if needed when I was off. It was a very simple system that worked well for all of us, and I found myself becoming incredibly close with both women.

“Heya Reese!”

I turned toward the voice that interrupted my thoughts, and saw Corbin at his usual stand selling his apples. I bounded over quickly to say hello.

“Hey Corbin! Long time no see!” I said with a huge smile. This was another person that I couldn’t help but befriend. Not only was he the first person that I met here, but he was such a kind old man that I couldn’t dislike him if I tried. “One apple my good man,” I said as I placed some beri on the stall.

“Sorry my dear,” he answered as he reached under the stall and handed me an apple from his bag. “but your beri are no good here.”

“Then consider it a tip, for the outstanding service!” I replied. This was a ritual that we completed every time that he came to town, and we both enjoyed it. We stood there chatting for a few minutes, when I noticed someone’s hand reaching for an apple. I stepped to the side, so that Corbin could complete his sale, but noticed that he had a scowl on his face. I turned back to the newcomer, and saw the back of a blond headed guy followed by two marines in uniform. I also saw that he was munching on an apple.

“Hey!” I yelled after him, furious that he would steal from my friend, right in front of me.

“Hmm?” he and the marines with him stopped and turned to look at me. I took in his unfortunate bowl style haircut, wondering if it was because he lost a dare, or if he thought it actually looked good. Perhaps it was to make his awful suit look better.

“You have to pay for that!” I scolded him as Corbin grabbed my arm and pulled me back to the stall.

“It’s fine Reese, don’t make a scene,” he said quietly. Was he kidding?! No way was this jerk going to take advantage of my friend simply because he was walking around with some marines. I turned back to speak again, and saw the blond guy right in front of me, continuing to eat the apple, with the marines flanking him.

“Were you speaking to me?” he asked condescendingly. 

“You bet I was!” I sneered back. “Even if you have the marines with you, it doesn’t make it alright to steal from others!”

“Steal? Me?” He asked innocently with a hint of malice behind it. “I wouldn’t say such things when you obviously don’t know who I am.” He turned to Corbin. “Did I steal from you old man?” He asked while taking another bite of the apple.

“N-no, please enjoy an apple as my gift.” Corbin answered. I turned to gape at him. He was letting this jerkwad get away with stealing from him?

“Ah, you see?” the guy turned back to me with a smug expression. You should watch your pretty little mouth, or you and your… friends will regret it.” He laughed, and I’m sure he enjoyed the look of disgust and anger I was sporting. “Yes, you wouldn’t want to upset me, you wouldn’t like the consequences.” With a final parting shot, “See you around, sweetheart!” the three of them turned and continued on their way. 

I turned back around and crossing my arms, glared at Corbin. He smiled at me sheepishly, and then took on a stern look and glared back at me.

“How could you just give in to him like that?” I demanded. 

Corbin shook his head and said, “You don’t understand Reese, there’s a delicate balance that we must maintain here so that we can keep the town safe.”

“You’re right, I don’t understand!” I yelled back, and before giving him a chance to explain, turned away and stalked over to the restaurant and went inside. 

I walked to the back of the room and over to C.C.’s table. She wasn’t there but her paperwork was, so she obviously would return. I needed to understand what that whole scene had been about, but I was too angry to let Corbin explain it. It didn’t take much to let my temper get away from me, and I had to reign it in quickly before I lost it. I’d apologize to Corbin later. 

After a few minutes I began to calm down, and waited as C.C. returned to the table. She looked at me and raised her eyebrow in question. I must still look angry to get that reaction from her. I took a few deep breaths and calmed myself down again before looking up at her. She smirked and I could tell she was amused, but when I didn’t smile back, she became serious and sat down opposite me.

“C.C.” I began, “I need you to help me understand what just happened outside.” Ririka walked over as I explained what had gone on at Corbin’s apple stand, and how upset and angry it made me. As I was retelling it, I got fired up again, but not as badly as the first time. “Why did Corbin give in?” I asked when I finally finished, “Who was that blond moron?”

C.C. and Ririka glanced at each other, and without a word Ririka left and returned with a drink that she placed in front of me. She sat down and gave C.C. a nod. I waited and sipped at the juice she had brought me. I had a feeling that I wouldn’t like what they were going to tell me.

“It’s not something we’re proud of Reese.” Ririka said quietly. “But we decided awhile ago that we couldn’t afford to fight back. We assumed that if we made the captain look good, he would get promoted and would leave our island for good.” She kept her eyes downcast.

“He is the son of Captain Morgan, the leader of the marine base here on the island.” C.C. added. “He is basically a bully, with the might of his father as the threat behind him. We let him do as he pleases, because if we do not, it brings the captain’s wrath down on us.”

“The marine captain punishes the townspeople for not giving his son whatever he wants?” I demanded, outraged on behalf of my temporary home. 

“Not exactly,” C.C. replied. “He is… a little unstable,” she said in a lower tone of voice so that only we could hear her. “He sees traitors everywhere and takes every opportunity to punish us. We couldn’t care less about his son, he is a minor nuisance. We really want to be rid of the captain.”

“He’s that bad?” I asked in hushed tones.

“Worse,” Ririka answered, also more quietly. “Even the marines are afraid of him.”

“Well, that explains the two following that creep around,” I said. “This whole thing stinks!” I yelled suddenly. 

“Yes, it does.” Ririka said, as they both lowered their eyes. “But it will not last forever. We’re simply enduring it for now.’”

There was a quiet pause before the door to the restaurant slammed open, and the blond we were just speaking of walked in with his escorts. He looked around with a look I couldn’t decipher, but I realized I didn’t really care. He was rude and obnoxious, and I just wanted to ignore him. Since it was technically my night off, I stood and followed Ririka back toward the bar and sat on a stool next to Rika, Ririka’s daughter. I may as well have dinner while I was here, rather than coming back later.

“What are you up to Rika?” I asked her.

She looked up from her paper and smiled at me. “Hi Reese! I’m glad you’re back! Do you want to draw with me?” 

I could hear the blond moron making some sort of commotion behind us, but I just ignored it. I shifted to look down at Rika’s paper. “What’s that?” I asked. “It looks like a horse flying over a rainbow?” She had a natural talent, and it was obvious what she had drawn even for one so young.

Rika’s face took on an even bigger smile at my question. “Yes!” She said. “It’s a horse with wings that can fly anywhere. One day, I’ll find one and going flying all over the sky!” She raised her fist in the air to emphasize her excitement.

I giggled at her exuberance. “Did you know that there is a name for a flying horse?” I asked her.

”There is?” Her eyes went wide and her mouth gaped open.

“Yep,” I answered. “It’s called a Pegasus.”

“Pegasus…” she looked thoughtful, and then grinned. “That’s awesome!”

“Pegasus, how ridiculous.” We turned around, and saw the blond right behind us, sneering. “There is no such thing.” I gave him a dirty look, noticing that his friends were sitting at a table several feet away, and talking to each other. I guess I wasn’t the only one trying to ignore him. “You shouldn’t tell stories to little kids, they’ll believe anything,” he added.

“I wasn’t telling a story.” I replied, and turned back around to face the counter with Rika following suit. “So Rika,” I asked, “What else should we draw?” 

“Um…” She glanced between me and the blond behind us who was starting to look red in the face. “You can draw whatever you want Reese.”

“Okay,” I nodded. “But… I think I need an idea or two to choose from.” I smiled and nudged her shoulder. 

Rika giggled. “I’ve got plenty of ideas!” 

“Phew, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to think of anything to dr-”

“Hey! Don’t you ignore me!” I turned to look at the blond, glaring at him for interrupting me. His face red, he glared back and I was reminded of Rika throwing a tantrum when she didn’t get her way. 

“Excuse me sir, we were just leaving.” I said. “Come on Rika, let’s go see what C.C. is up to.”

“Okay Reese!” she replied. She jumped off her stool and took my hand, and we walked away. Rika may have thought that we were looking for C.C., but I was simply looking to get away from the moron. I glanced back and saw him stomp his foot, fuming at us.

\- - - - - 

The next day, I was still annoyed at the whole situation. C.C. gave me a delivery to make at the marine base, and I tried to refuse, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She lectured me a bit about keeping my promise to her, and I found I had no real excuse. I could only hope that I didn’t run into the moron today.

I walked through town with a large pack on my back. I started guessing what I was delivering; it was a game I played constantly. C.C. would tell me about most deliveries, but was strangely silent about the marine ones. The couple of marines I’ve managed to befriend also refused to talk about the deliveries, but that was because they were ordered not to look at them as well. I assumed it was something that C.C. was embarrassed about, and given our conversation yesterday it was easy to guess that it was most likely money that the marine captain demanded from the townspeople. 

As I came to the gate of the base I was happy to see my friend Greg standing guard. I gave a small wave, and walked up to talk with him.

“Hey Greg, nice day, huh?” I asked.

He smiled and replied, “Hello Reese. It sure is.” I smiled. It had taken over two months to get him to finally call me by my name. “Another delivery?” he asked me.

“Yep. Do you get to see me for any other reason?” I teased. 

“One of these days I figure you’ll come to finally join us,” he teased back. He was the only marine I had told about my future plans, but he was also the one to tell me to hold off on joining yet. There were reasons that he refused to tell me directly, as he felt his captain would see it as treason, but he warned me all the same. He was one of the few people on the island that I actually trusted.

“Sorry, not today.” I grinned back at him, as I took the pack off my back, and put it down in front of Greg. “Maybe next time.” 

“Ah well, can’t blame me for trying,” he smirked at me as we enjoyed our little joke.

“So when are you coming into town next?” I asked. “I still owe you dinner at the restaurant like I promised.”

“And I told you that you don’t owe me anything,” he replied. 

“I say I do.” I argued.

“Fine, fine. I know when I’m beat.” He put his hands up in mock surrender. I can make it, hmm, three days from now, will that work?”

“I’ll plan on it,” I smiled again, and turning, waved goodbye. “See you then!”

“Until then,” he answered, waving back at me. 

 

Marine Recruit Greg picked up the pack that Reese had left at his feet, and began to walk it into the base. He called to his fellow guard and asked that he watch both posts for a few minutes. Greg whistled under his breath as he hefted the bag on his shoulder.

“That Reese is quite pretty, isn’t she?” a voice asked.

“She sure is,” he answered before he realized he was speaking. He stopped and turned to the source of the voice, and saw Captain Morgan’s son, Helmeppo. His good mood vanished as he saw the look on the kid’s face.

“It’s fairly simple,” Helmeppo said with a smirk, his arms crossed over his chest. “You speak to her again, and I tell my Daddy about your traitorous actions.”

Greg’s face showed no emotion, but Helmeppo could see the fear in his eyes. It had been a gamble to bluff like that, but based on the fear he saw, the marine had done something. He didn’t need to know the specifics, he just needed the man to think he did. His smirk grew as he looked at Greg. 

“I think we understand each other, yes?” Helmeppo asked. “I’d hate for Reese to see you being executed.”

“I understand,” Greg responded quietly. He had been wracking his brain to think of a way out of this trap, but he couldn’t put his or Reese’s life in jeopardy. It would be easy to avoid Reese in the future. He adjusted the bag on his shoulder and continued to walk into the base, dejected. He no longer felt like whistling.


	8. Dru

I walked slowly to the training yard, wondering if I would ever be able to get past my current lesson. Everyday for the past two weeks I had been working on dodging, and though it was important I felt like there was much more to learn. If I was being honest with myself, I was simply frustrated. Usually Koala worked with me each day, but she was currently on some sort of mission, so I was working with Hack. Koala always explained why the lessons were important, but Hack simply said, “Avoid being hit” and here we were two weeks later, still working on it. As I reached the training area, I could see Hack was already here, so I decided to ask for something new.

“Morning Hack,” I said smiling.

“Dru,” he said with a slight bow and head nod.

“I’m excited for a NEW lesson today,” I said. _‘Emphasis on new’_ I thought.

“Prepare yourself,” he stated. “Avoid being hit.” I groaned dejected. This was getting ridiculous.

“Hack…” I couldn’t continue as I dodged an incoming foot sweep that would have knocked me off my feet. It took most of my concentration to avoid his attacks, but I continued to try to speak. “Can’t… we… try… something… oof… different?” I managed to say in between my movements. He didn’t respond, just continued to attack. I growled in annoyance under my breath.

We took several breaks throughout the day, but continued to work on dodging. I was feeling pleased with myself as I noticed that he was trying with earnest to hit me, and I was able to dodge every attack. As the time for the end  
of training drew near, I was feeling so confidant that I went in for an attack of my own. I heard some sort of commotion, but was so focused that I blocked all noise out as I went in for an attack. Hack however, was distracted and instead of a light grab, I ended up tackling him to the ground.

I could hear laughter as someone grabbed my hand and helped pull me upright. I looked right into Koala’s laughing face and smiled hugely.

“Koala!” I shouted happily. “You’re back! I missed you!” I threw my arms around her in a hug, and quickly released her to turn back to Hack with a bow. “Not that I haven’t been enjoying our lessons, Hack.”

Koala and Hack both laughed now, as she gave him a hand standing. 

“I’m sure you were Dru,” Koala said. “You lasted longer than I did anyway. I attacked him after the first day of training,” she reminisced. 

“Yes, you were a little more eager back then,” Hack added. “But you’ve learned much more discipline since.”

“Wait a second,” I interjected. “This was some sort of test?” I was shocked, then paused as I worried. “Did I pass?” I asked.

Hack smiled and gave a bow. “It was not that kind of test,” he stated. “Merely to see how long you will follow directions even when you do not agree with them, as well as if you will take matters into your own hands.” He clapped a hand on my shoulder, “Good tackle” he added with a squeeze of his hand, and walked off. “I need to report in,” he called back over his shoulder as he left.

I turned back to Koala, about to ask about her travels when I noticed that Sabo was almost to us, and calling to her. He came up and spoke to her for a minute before nodding and turning around to leave. I called out to him, “Nice to see you too, Sabo!” seeing him turn and frown at me, then turning back and leaving without a word.

All other questions were forgotten as I turned to Koala and asked, “What is his problem with me?”

“Oh, don’t let him bother you Dru,” Koala answered with a wave of her hand. “He is just too serious sometimes.”

“Koala, that’s not true and you know it,” I crossed my arms and looked at her. “ Around everyone else, he smiles, and jokes. He knows everyone’s name, greets them, talking to anyone!” I took a breath, pausing, “except me” I finished quietly. 

I watched as Koala’s face fell, and I could see she was trying to decide what to say. I wouldn’t be placated however, since I had gotten the feeling that Sabo didn’t want me there. I knew something was up, and the past two weeks without Koala had given me the opportunity to observe Sabo in his “natural habitat”. He treated me differently than literally everyone else on the island.

“Dru, don’t let it bother you,” she said. “It’s nothing, really.”

“I thought we were friends Koala,” I said, and turned to walk back to my room. I didn’t like giving a guilt trip, but I was sure that she knew, and I couldn’t fix whatever the problem was if I didn’t know. Normally, I would have figured it was his loss, and let it go. But Sabo was not only Koala’s best friend, but also the chief of staff. I needed to get along with him since I was a part of them now.  
When I got to my room, I finally noticed that Koala had been walking back with me. She came into the room after me and shut the door behind her. 

“Look Dru,” she began. “It really is nothing personal. He just needs some time to get over it.” she said vaguely. I raised a brow in question and she continued. “I keep telling him,” as if she was talking to herself now “if Dragon trusts you, and I trust you, he should too.”

“But he doesn’t,” I said understanding dawning. “What, he thinks I’m here to… what? Destroy everything?”

She giggled, “Not quite so dramatically, but yes. He thinks there is a possibility that you are a spy… for the government.”

“But… why?” I asked completely shocked. This was not one of the scenarios that I had come up with.

“Well,” she turned thoughtful “he doesn’t know you like we do, and apparently he thinks you act pretty suspiciously.” Koala was serious as she added, “We didn’t tell him any specifics that you shared with us, and he can pretty protective of those he considers family.”

“I can understand that.” I wasn’t sure how to take this new information. True, he didn’t know me like Koala and Dragon did, but that was no excuse to treat me like I didn’t exist. “Why doesn’t he simply try to get to know me then?” I asked.

“He’s my friend Dru,” she said with a sheepish look. “I can’t tell you all his secrets. I only told you that because I don’t want to take it personally. He’ll get over it, I promise!”

“Okay,” I said. “Thanks Koala.”

“Yeah,” she said. We sat there for another moment, before I gave her another hug.

“So, tell me what you can about your trip!” I said, switching gears. She lit up and started telling me about her recent adventures. I focused on her words, knowing that I would be thinking long and hard later about what to do about Sabo.

_________

The next couple of days passed in a relative blur. I was back to training with Koala, but we had started working on defensive and offensive moves for hand to hand combat. I was actually better than I thought I would be, perhaps due to all the wrestling/fighting my sisters and I had done when we were younger. I may be nice, but I’m still a Cooper and Coopers do not let others walk all over them. As we got older I would employ means more along mind games than physicality, but I always enjoyed proving my “dominance” to my younger sisters.  
And that was when I decided how to deal with Sabo. This could go either way, making him really angry or showing him how ridiculous he was being, but I felt like it would be worth it. If he was worried that I was some kind of spy, then he obviously would be watching me somehow. So I would show him what kind of spy I was… a bad one. I smiled to myself, thinking that this would be fun. 

“Um, Dru?” I blinked a few times and saw Koala in front of me.

“Yes?” I asked.

“You had this sinister looking smile on your face, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay?” she asked.

“Yeah Koala, I’m good,” I smiled genuinely at her, and wiggled my eyebrows to make her laugh. She didn’t disappoint.

“Should I even ask?” she asked as she laughed.

“Probably not,” I answered.

The following day began “Operation Mess with Sabo”. I didn’t want to actually aggravate the situation, I simply wanted to show him how ridiculous the whole thing was. So I decided to do everything I could to look suspicious, while exaggerating to the max. Hopefully, it would at least get him to pause and think, and perhaps start a conversation. Or, you know, totally mess with his head.

I started as soon as I left my room, looking in all possible directions before sneaking down to the bathroom. Then I stealthily made my way to the kitchen and said good morning to the chefs. I stuck to my original schedule, and didn’t change anything besides my “paranoid” behavior. I continued to glance around before doing anything, or going anywhere. My actions did not go unnoticed, and I soon had several people asking me what I was doing. I simply told them I was playing a game, and asked that they pretend that I was acting normally if anyone were to question them about it.

Ever since I joined, I had spent time each day getting to know a new person, and I used this as well. I was never dishonest with anyone, in fact I told several people who had opened up to me that I would share information with them on the condition that they keep it to themselves and not share anything about me to others, but simply tell them to ask me themselves. Most agreed without a problem, and only once did I need to explain further about trying to get the chief of staff to speak to me. 

After only one day, Koala caught on to what I was doing, and found the whole thing ridiculous, especially when she read my “notebook” which contained important information such as, “the brown haired man ate two servings of dinner tonight”. I had no idea if Sabo had mentioned something to her, or if he even noticed, but I was determined to see this through. And truth be told, I was enjoying acting like a fool and seeing smiles among my comrades due to my behavior.

Four days in, I went to sit in our normal seats for dinner, and noticed that Sabo was sitting across from Koala in what appeared to be an intense discussion. I changed course and went to the food line, getting a plate for myself, and two extra for them. I managed to carry all three meals back to the table without incident, and became extremely pleased with myself. I set the food down, and spoke before sitting.

“Do you need more time? I can go back for drinks,” I said.

They both looked up somewhat surprised, then looked down at the food in front of them. Koala smiled, and picked up her fork.

“This is great, thanks Dru,” she said.

“Yes, thank you” Sabo added. “Please, join us.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” I answered and sat down next to Koala. “It’s nice to see you out and about Sabo, that doesn’t seem to happen much.” I commented. I could see his eyes narrow slightly, and I rolled my own in response.  
I turned slightly to Koala to start a conversation with her, when Sabo started talking.

“So, Dru” he started. “I’m sure you miss your home, back in…?” he left it hanging, obviously wanting me to fill in the blank. 

“I came here from the South Blue,” I answered. Which, technically was true.

“And your family must miss you, your parents…?”

“Dead,” I wasn’t going to talk about them to him. He had some sort of agenda, and I was wanting him to get to the point. 

“Your siblings?” he asked.

“Somewhere, out there” I answered. “What about yours?” I shot back.

“This isn’t about me,” he answered peering into my eyes. “This is about you.”

“Oh, I get it,” I countered. “So you can protect your family, and your secrets but I can’t?” I held up my hand to stop him from answering and continued on. “I was asked to join, by _your boss_ if I’m not mistaken. You don’t trust me, that’s fine. But DON’T act like I don’t get the same freedoms as you do.”

I stood up, and grabbed my plate ready to move somewhere else. Koala had her hand on my arm keeping me there while looking pleadingly at Sabo. He in turn, looked shocked but quickly collected himself.

“Please, sit down” he said quietly. I sat, though I was not very happy about it. I looked down at my food and continued to eat. “I…” He started speaking but stopped as if unsure what to say. “Dru,” he said and I looked up to meet his eye. We simply looked at each other, trying to gauge the other. I’m unable to stay angry, so I decided to give him something.

I sighed, and set my fork down. “My three sisters and I were separated. I agreed with Dragon to join you in your endeavors until I am able to reunite with them. I would never do anything to jeopardize your people, one because that is not the type of person I am, and two because if I did, I would be trying to find my sisters alone and I would not succeed.” With my impromptu speech done, I stood, grabbed my plate and left.


	9. Kia

I looked around the room wondering if there was anything that I was forgetting. I went through my mental list, checking items off and questioning again what Judith had in store. The only directions I had received were to dress warm, bring a canteen of water, and the blanket that she had helped me to make from some pelts that she had given me. I heard a knock on the door and went to let her in.

“Now will you tell me what this is all about? I asked her with a smile. “The suspense is killing me!”

Judith smiled at me. “I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out by now,” she said. 

“Well I was pretty sick,” I complained.

“That was weeks ago!” she said, while shaking her finger at me. “I’ll give you a hint,” she said. "It’s how I make my living, remember? I told you about -”

“Oh, I get it” I interrupted her. “We’re going somewhere to sell the clothes and blankets you’ve made.”

“Yes,” she nodded. “and purchase more pelts in order to make more.”

“Sounds fun!” I grinned. I had been saying for a few days now that I wanted to see more of the island. “Where are we going?”

“A small town called Symdal. It’s up into the mountains, and surrounded by woods which makes the hunting easier. There and back will take most of the day.” She looked around and frowned. “Still not making yourself at home I see.”

“I still don’t understand why I can’t simply come live with you,” I retorted. “It feels strange living in someone’s home whom I hardly know,” I explained again. 

“He would want you to,” she said. “Besides, I like my privacy!”

I smiled, and went to gather my few belongs for the trip. This was a constant argument between the two of us. After hearing in town that Mr. Zachary was in prison, Judith had insisted that I stay and help to keep his home clean and ready for his return. I still felt like an intruder, and refused to use the bedroom, instead sleeping on the couch and using a small closet for all my belongings, which were few.  
After donning my winter clothes (given to me by Judith) we got onto her sled, and started off. I had seen her using this sled several times, and I was excited to get to ride it. It reminded me of dog sleds back home, though the animals pulling hers were more like mountain goats. 

Several hours later, we arrived at Symdal. It was small, but very busy. There were groups of sheep and goats, thick and woolly, being led in or out of the town. There were stalls in the center of town, which looked as if they were temporary, or could be broken down quickly. It was a new experience for me, and I kept looking everywhere trying to see everything at once. The houses looked smaller, but cozy and there were streetlights down the main street. Everyone we saw was smiling and happy, and it was so contagious that I found myself smiling and greeting people as we made our way to a specific stall. 

“Good day Erik,” Judith called to the man in front of us.

“Miss Judith!” he boomed back. “Wondered when I would be seeing you!”

“Got a later start, due to bringing young Kiana here with me,” she said with a nod in my direction. I smiled at her words. She was in her early 30s, which meant she wasn’t that much older than I was, but she liked to act as if I was still a child.

“Good day,” I said politely to the burly man.

“Good day to you as well, Miss Kiana,” Erik gave me a small bow. “How are you enjoying our small piece of the island?”

“It’s great!” I gave him a big smile. “Everyone is so happy!”

“We try miss,” a new voice said from beside me. I turned and saw a younger version of Erik next to me.

“My son, Lucas. Luc, this is Miss Kiana. She’s here with Miss Judith.”

“A pleasure, Miss Kiana.” Lucas gave me a small bow as well, and I noticed the axe he had strapped to his back, giving me a mental image of a lumberjack. He definitely had the beard for it.

“Nice to meet you,” I said. I turned to Erik, “there’s no way you can have a son his age,” I said. 

He laughed, “Thank you Miss Kiana, but I assure you I do.” He pinked a little on his cheeks in pleasure.

Lucas smiled at me, and turned to Erik as well. “I’m going out to cut more firewood Father,” he said. “I’ll return shortly.” He turned to Judith and I and said farewell, before walking off with several other men.

“Feel free to explore Kia,” Judith told me. “Bartering with Erik always takes some time because he is so stubborn!” I laughed with them, and Erik came back with “me? You are the stubborn one!” So I took my leave, and spent time walking all around the town meeting others, petting sheep, and just generally exploring.

After a bit I realized, with selling her wares Judith would have an empty sled on the way back, so I started gathering wood to take back with us. Finding wood back in Robelli took awhile since we had to walk to the forest, and cart the wood back. Here the trees were so close and plentiful, that I should be able to scavenge some off the forest floor without trouble. 

It had finally stopped snowing, and I found the views so beautiful that I ended up walking further than I meant to, taking in the beauty of the scenery. I wasn’t worried about getting lost, as I could follow my footprints back to  
town, however I realized after some time that I was unaware of how long I had been out, and decided to head back. That was when I heard it.

It sounded like heavy breathing, and my first thought was that I was being watched. I turned around in a slow circle, looking all around me getting more and more nervous as I couldn’t find the source of the sound. As I focused harder on the noise, it sounded less _human_ and more like an animal, with a slight growl on the exhale. 

I could feel my heart beating faster, and I looked around me again, zeroing in on the direction of the sound. I still didn’t see anyone, and it was making me _very_ nervous. Whoever, or whatever it was, they were hiding. I took one more glance, before I would simply walk away, and finally noticed a strange tree. Unwillingly, my body took steps forward, as I tried to understand what was different about the tree. As I got closer, I could hear my brain yelling at me to get away, but still I walked forward, wanting to uncover the truth behind the mystery.

I stopped, frozen. That was not a tree. Trees… they don’t have… fur. That was fur. Which meant… 

I slowly looked up, and saw a huge face, mouth slack, breathing heavily as it stared at me. I wish I could actually give a description that would do it justice. As it was, I stared at it for a few moments until my brain shook off the  
shock. And then I let loose the biggest scream I had ever screamed, and started running for my life.

I ran as hard as I could through the snow, following my footprints back towards the town. The thing behind me let out a screeching roar that scared me so badly that I fell down. I regained my feet and continued to push through the trees, knowing any second could be my last.

As Symdal came into view, I could see several people looking towards me as I came out of the woods. I yelled “RUN!!” at the top of my lungs, and waved with my arms, trying to get the message across as tears ran down my cheeks and I gulped in air. 

Someone tried to stop me, and I pushed and twisted to get free and keep moving. Didn’t they understand?! It was coming! It was coming straight for us all! I could hear others gasping and then screams started all around me. The arms holding me in place let me go, and I again fell down. The people all around me were scattering and running. Someone helped me to my feet before running away in another direction. I could see the huge beast coming towards me, and I froze again. Could it be?

There, on top of its head… a pink hat with a white x. It couldn’t… could it?

“Chopper?” I whispered. The monster form of the reindeer/human doctor roared again, and continued towards me. I could hear my name being yelled behind me, and saw a huge hand coming at me. I tried to run, and felt myself flying towards a house, then… nothing.

 

\- - - - - - - 

 

“Chopper? Can you hear me?” Chopper open his eyes slowly, unsure of what had happened, but he felt terrible. He could feel the cold pack on his forehead, and the bandages all over his body. He looked at Dr. Kureha in confusion.

“Doctorine?” he questioned.

“What can you remember?” she asked.

“I was experimenting with my rumble ball,” he answered. “I recorded all the side effects of the second ball, and took a third, then… I can’t remember anything. I must have fallen unconscious.” He became unsure as he saw the look on her face. “What happened Doctorine?” 

“The only way I can describe it,” she said quietly “is to say that your devil fruit went wild.” She looked at him, letting this news sink in before she had to tell him the rest.

“What… what did I do?” he asked, afraid of the answer.

“The kingdom is in an uproar Chopper. I’m not sure what to tell them.” She paused. “Symdal was almost completely wiped off the map, homes destroyed, people injured.” She took in his horrified expression. “Mostly minimal injuries” she said. 

Dr. Kureha sat on the side of the bed Chopper was laying in, sighing before continuing. “It’s a lesson we doctors all must learn Chopper,” she said. “We take lives in our hands every day, and we gamble as we learn new procedures and medicines. This however, went to a different level. Something that turns you against foes or friends, or even against your own self. It’s… monstrous.” She knew she was taking a gamble herself, using that word, but she _needed_ him to realize how dangerous it was. Not just to others, but to himself.

He looked up at her, tears freely falling down his face. “I’m so sorry Doctorine!” he cried. “I’ll never do it again!” 

The corner of her mouth quirked up before she said, “you just hurry and get better. There’s plenty of chores that need to get done around here.” She stood, and left the room, leaving Chopper to his thoughts.

A week later, Chopper finally finished every chore he could think of. He wanted to somehow make up for what had happened, and since Doctorine told him not to go anywhere near Symdal, he couldn’t think of anything else. 

“Chopper!” he heard her yell out, and he went quickly. “We are going out. I hear someone in Robelli town needs a doctor,” she said when he came near.

“I’ll get the sleigh,” he responded and ran to do it.

They traveled a few hours and made it to Robelli town around mid day. Chopper followed Doctorine as she made her way through the town. He hadn’t been able to figure out how she was able to not only find out when people were in need of her skills, but also to know where they were. It continued to amaze him. He hoped she would teach him that as well someday.

Doctorine walked up to a younger woman, asking if anyone needed to be treated. The woman looked relieved as she agreed and began walking them towards a house on the outskirts of the town. Once he saw their destination, Chopper went back to the sleigh and pulled it around the town to the little home. Still in his reindeer form, he decided to stay outside for now, but went to the door to hear what he could.

“I can see what ails her, but how did it happen?” he heard Doctorine ask.

“An animal, a… beast,” the other woman spat out.

“These are not injuries from an animal,” Kureha argued. “She has a severely broken leg, two broken ribs, cuts and bruises all over, and looks to be suffering from exhaustion. What. Happened.”

“We were in Symdal last week,” the younger woman explained. “She was caught in the attack that nearly destroyed the town. We did what we could for her, but the tea does nothing to help her pain, and she only sleeps like this once she passes out from exhaustion.” Chopper could hear the emotion in her voice as she explained. He felt sick. This girl, was hurt because… of him.

He heard a scream, and realized the girl had been woken up due to pain. He could hear her panting, and felt so badly for her, and so glad that they were there to help her get better. He heard Doctorine ask her about her experience, wanting to know exactly how her injuries were sustained. He cringed as he heard what he had done to her.

“No!” she yelled, “it wasn’t like that Judith!”

“How can you say that, Kia?” the woman named Judith asked.

“Yes, I was scared. And, yes, I was hurt. But that doesn’t make him a monster,” he could hear how difficult it was for her to speak, and his eyes went wide as he comprehended her words.

“Of course it does!” Judith retorted.

“No, I could see… he didn’t know what he was doing, so it wasn’t his fault.”

“I’m going to help,” he heard Doctorine say. “but it will hurt. Your leg has started healing in the wrong position, and will need to be re-broken and re-set.” She continued to explain to Kia how to take the medicine that she would leave once they were done, and gave her a painkiller.

“I can’t pay you,” Kia said quietly, straining to speak though she had no energy. “That closet, has all my belongings, take any or all of it.”

The door opened, and Doctorine was ushering Judith out. “Go ahead, go home. She will sleep for quite awhile, and you can check on her later.” Judith look relived, as if a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders. 

“Thank you doctor, thank you so much,” she said. “But what will you accept as payment?” she asked.

“I’ll work that out with her,” she replied, and shooed her on her way. Then looking down at Chopper she asked, “did you hear it?” He hung his head and nodded. “Then,” she said, “it’s only right that you help to heal her.” He looked at her, surprised and so happy to be able to do something. 

He followed her into the house, staying back as she gripped the girl’s leg hard, making her scream and pass out. He took a moment to look at the girl on the couch, and felt his resolve strengthen, seeing her like this because of him.

They worked together with hardly any talk between them, breaking and setting her leg properly. He realized “helping” actually meant breaking her leg, and about made himself sick with the sound and feel of it, but he knew that was the only way to make her better. He cleaned up, and changed back to his reindeer form as Doctorine walked to a small closet, opened the door and pulled out a blanket. She shut the closet, and walked over to the front door.

“Let’s go Chopper, we have our payment.”

“How…” he paused, unsure, then continued. “How did she know Doctorine? That I had lost control?”

She thought a moment before answering. “I’m not sure Chopper. Though, I hope this has taught you why experimenting without considering the consequences is foolish. Next time, you could do more than hurt someone.”

“There won’t be a next time, Doctorine.”

 

\- - - - - 

 

I swung the crutches up out of the snow, and tapped them on the door frame to remove the excess snow before continuing on into the house. True, they were probably not built to be used outside but in the month since my doctor’s visit Judith had kept me bedridden, and I needed some fresh air! Besides, the pain killers I was given had worked wonders as my body healed so I felt great. Dr. Kureha had not said anything about not getting my “cast” -I was still unsure if that was what it was called- wet, and since the nice Mr. Thomas from town had gifted me with crutches I was going to put them to use.

Today had been one lap around the house, and I would add another each day until I could get around without any problems. Dr. Kureha also hadn’t given instructions as to how long this would be on my leg, and I figured she would simply show up one day to get it off. I looked at the cast again, running my hand over it. It looked simply like bandages, but had some sort of coating on it to make it hard as rock. 

The next few days passed slowly. Judith had left last week for Symdal, saying she would be staying for several days to help with the rebuilding efforts. The king had not sent aid of any kind, so the people all banded together to help their neighbors. I had spent most of my time in bed helping to make blankets, clothes, anything I could to send with her, and now I found myself with plenty of time, but not much to fill it. 

The next afternoon as I was completing my laps around the house, I decided to take a trip over to Judith’s as well, to give myself some new scenery. It was tough going through the freshly fallen snow, but as I neared her house I could see her sled parked near her door, and perked up. It had been so lonely while she was gone, and I was excited to see her. I wanted to hear how things were going in Symdal, and of course tease her about Erik. I was certain she had feelings for the older widower. 

I giggled as I remembered the look on her face when I had first mentioned it. She had practically fallen over in shock. My giggles turned into laughs at the mental reenactment, and I had to stop before knocking to get my breath back.

“Care to share the joke girlie?” a deep voice asked, and I whirled around as best I could on crutches. “I could use a good laugh! Zee’ah ha ha!” My face paled, and I looked at him and his friends in horror. It was the Blackbeard Pirates. What were they…? 

That’s when I remembered. King Wapol fled the island when pirates attacked it. When the _Blackbeard Pirates attacked._

I don’t know why, but when I am scared my brain to mouth filter shuts off. That’s what happened as I looked at the pirates in front of me.

“Sorry, but it’s a private joke” I said, crossing my arms and looking at them disdainfully. “Friends only” I added.

“Oh,” Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard sounded disappointed, though he was grinning. “Does that mean we aren’t going to be friends? Not a very nice welcome.”

“Kia? Is that you…?” Judith said as she opened the door, her words trailing off as she saw the group of men beyond me. 

I turned my head slightly and said, “Judith, stay inside.”

Before she could respond, Blackbeard said “Not a good plan,” and laughed as another pirate went towards her home with a torch. “You see we’re having a bonfire! You don’t want to get too close, or you might get burned!” He laughed as if it was the funniest thing he had ever heard. 

Judith was escorted over to where I was standing, and we watched in horror as they set her house on fire and started to walk away. Perhaps it was the shock that kept us from moving at first, but after a moment we were both surging forward. I started scooping snow and throwing it on the flames, but it was futile. It quickly became an inferno, and the heat was so intense that I had to move back. I could hear Judith yelling, and I went to grab my crutches in the snow in front of me. I was hissing at the pain from the heat, and retreated back again without them. 

I heard the crack of a gunshot, and whirled to see Judith clutching Blackbeard’s shirt. I watched in terror as blood blossomed on the back of her shirt as Blackbeard and his men turned and walked away into town and Judith collapsed onto the snow covered ground.

 

\- - - - - - 

 

I’m not sure how long it had been, or even how I got back home with Judith in tow, but here I was. People were talking around me, but I couldn’t hear them. All I could do was look at Judith… at Judith’s body. I was so woefully unprepared for any sort of emergency. Everything that I could have possibly used to help her was in her house, which was gone. I had sat there, using anything I could to stem the bleeding, applying pressure until my own limbs went numb, but she just slipped away from me. 

I didn’t give up until someone came and pried me from her, and that’s when I finally broke down, shaking and crying inconsolably until I could only sit and stare at nothing. I heard talk about the king, the castle, pirates, and doctors but nothing that made sense.

I refocused as someone was snapping their fingers in front of my face. I looked at Dr. Kureha.

“There she is. See? Simply in shock,” she said to someone else that I didn’t recognize. 

“Thank you doctor,” he said before turning to a familiar looking man on his other side. “Dalton? This is the young woman I told you about.” I stared as Dalton came closer to me, and crouched down to be on my level since I was sitting on the floor.

“Hello there,” he said quietly. “My name is Dalton. I’m so sorry, this should not have happened.” He indeed looked sorry, as if he were somehow responsible.

“It’s my fault,” I said.

“What?” the first man was outraged, though Dalton held out a hand to keep him quiet.

“How so?” Dalton asked me.

I swallowed, wanting to cry again but having no more tears to shed. “I was walking with my crutches, trying to increase my stamina,” I explained. “The pirates saw me, and followed me to Judith’s house.” I hung my head in shame. “They were headed for town, but this happened because of me,” I buried my face in my hands, body shaking with my dry sobs.

“This is all your fault!” the first man was so upset, as he paced the room. “I never should have pulled you out of the snow!” At his words I understood. This was Zachary, Judith’s neighbor and the owner of this house. No wonder he was angry, because of me he had spent the last several months in prison and now his friend was dead.

I looked up devastated. “I’m so sorry!” I cried, and he gave me a look of such contempt that I had to look away.

 

\- - - - -

 

Dalton looked at Kureha with gratitude as she poured him a cup of tea. It was just what he needed to warm up after the long day he had had. 

“I thought it best to let you know I’ll be moving into the castle,” Kureha said.

He was surprised, but not shocked. Kureha always liked to be away from people. “How will you get all your things up there?” he asked. “The ropeways were all damaged in the attack.”

She cackled. “I have my ways, don’t you worry,” she said. “I’ll still visit every now and then. I won’t leave them without medical care.” 

He smiled to himself. She was a good person, though she wouldn’t appreciate it if he said it out loud. So he changed the subject. “The woman in Robelli, she approached me about plans to protect the island,” he said, and her eyebrow went up.

“Really?” she said. “Protection from…?”

“According to her, from the return of king Wapol,” he stated, and smiled as she cackled again.

“I thought she was a smart one,” she said. “It’s nice to know not everyone is thinking we are safe.”

“Indeed,” he said. “However, it’s very strange. She has no idea how she got here, no training either in defense or weapons. I’m not sure how she has even survived this long.” He leaned in, “though, when asked she simply says that it is her dream to be able to help save others, that what happened to her friend will never happen again.” He looked at her perplexed. “I’m not sure how to help her achieve that” he admitted, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I’m surprised that I want to,” he added.

“It sounds like you answered it already,” she replied thoughtfully. “Train her in defense and weapons,” she stated when he questioned her. He thought awhile, as was his way before nodding.

“I’ll do just that,” he stated.


	10. Ashley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter chapter, but we need to have the build up, right? Everything starts happening quickly after this!

I lay where I fell, completely exhausted. Day after day for the past two months, Mihawk had whipped me into shape, a shape that was in his words, “somewhat acceptable”. He usually checked on me once or twice throughout the day unless he was away from the island, but otherwise it was up to me to complete the daily regimen. Once, I had skipped my final rep of push ups, and somehow he looked at me the following morning and KNEW. How, I will probably never know, but that was the last time I didn’t follow his directions to the letter.

Today had been the day when I finally had lost my patience- after getting no answers to when I would start learning swordplay, I had demanded to receive new training. Mihawk looked at me with narrowed eyes, then said, “you have five minutes.” At my questioning expression, he clarified. “Five minutes in which to simply touch me. If you are able to, we will start your weapon training.”

I could sense the trap he was laying for me, yet I felt this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. He stood there, with his arms crossed over his chest, counting aloud every ten seconds.

“Four minutes thirty seconds,” he said, and I started to move forward, realizing time had slipped away from me. He side stepped every move I made, with the most minimal movements himself. I pumped myself up, and stepped up my game, only to fall short.

“Three minutes.”

I continued to strike out at him, missing with a jab, and turning, struck out with my back foot- missed again. It was like he could anticipate my every move! 

“One minute.”

I began employing everything in my arsenal- rolls, cartwheels, leaps and even feinting to one side but attacking to the opposite. Nothing I did made any difference, and I was panting and sweating while he looked as if he wasn’t even moving.

“Ten seconds.”

Last ditch effort, I ran and leaped into a flying tackle, determined to give it my all. 

He jumped. Right over me. 

I continued to simply lay there, utterly exhausted and humbled. He had defeated me without a single attack. Once I had my breath under control, I stood on shaky legs, bowed to him and asked, “Back to training then, Master?” He smirked at me, and continued where we had left off before, with me being much more attentive.

 

\- - - - - - 

 

Mihawk was frustrated. In the beginning, Ashley proved to be adept at following directions, and he could see the progress she made as she became stronger and swifter under his tutelage. Since that day two months ago when he had demonstrated her speed in comparison to his own, she pushed herself even further. She was now able to avoid most of his general attacks, and was stronger than about half of the humandrills.

The frustrating thing however- she was unwilling to attack offensively. She was consistently on the defensive, and never utilizing openings given by her opponents. Her goal- being able to defend her family and keep them safe. No matter how he argued with her about it, her only response was that she needed only to defend, that she had no need to hurt others. 

It was maddening, and he was ready to simply end their training. If she was unwilling to listen to him, to follow his directions in all things, than he had no use for her. On the other hand, he refused to FAIL. He still had a trick or two up his sleeve, and he would use them.

She was surprised when he announced that she would be accompanying him off the island. He stated, that against the dangers that existed on the Grand Line, she would need to utilize all her skill, and he would show her that attacking offensively could mean the difference between safety or death for those she traveled with. She nodded, though he could tell that she was dubious. His training on keeping her emotions from showing was working however, as anyone else would have only seen her as agreeing with him.

He had her row the small boat, knowing it would be difficult, but she did so without complaint. He could have generated waves to push them along easily, but didn’t. That would mean attacking the water… he smirked and thought, _and we can’t have that._

If this didn’t work, then his last effort would be to take her to Red-Hair. The stories of pirates he could tell may change her mind, but he doubted it. However, Beckman was a good resource for logic to convince her, and if all else failed, he would simply leave her with Red-Hair and return home alone.

After days of travel, he tried to broach the subject again, but found himself ready to tear his hair out. 

“You cannot simply defend, there are instances where attacking will mean saving those you care about or travel with,” he started again. “I will not teach you another thing until you explain this!” he snapped, his patience gone.

“I don’t know if I can, Master” she said, looking at the oar in her hands. “I simply believe that I can beat others without causing harm, and by so doing, protect others. I don’t want to kill anyone.”

He paused, as he heard this for it was news to him. Not kill anyone? Was she naive? This was the Grand Line, and everyone here would kill her in an instant if needed, and others would kill her for fun. 

“You are being foolish” he stated, finally seeing the problem for what it was. “Some may deserve the mercy you wish to show, however others will use that against you, and you will be defeated.”

“Yes, Master” she said, returning to her rowing. He sneered at her, knowing that she didn’t agree with him, she simply wanted to end the argument. Which also meant, she would continue fighting her own way. 

“I will be taking a nap, ensure that we stay on course” he said, before settling down being tired from staying up on watch at night. 

He felt like he had barely fallen asleep when he was jostled awake by the harsh rocking of his boat. He opened his eyes, ready to growl at Ashley, and saw that she was using all her energy trying to keep the boat from tipping He looked out onto the ocean, and saw a massive fleet of pirate ships approaching them. There must have been at least fifty. 

As the ships came nearer, he could see that they all flew the same jolly roger. “Pirates” he stated, looking at his trainee. She took the news well, simply waiting for his commands. The ships began to bear down on them, and he could hear the order from the flag ship to destroy them. He stood and pulled out his sword. Without turning he spoke to Ashley, “if I were to simply defend now, we would both die.”

He could feel her eyes on him as he stepped forward and began to release attack after attack. He could hear her gasp as she saw the sheer devastation that his attacks did, watching as the ships were systematically sliced into pieces, one after the other. 

She found it difficult to even count the amount of ships that he sunk. He did not need to be near them to attack them, his sword strikes so powerful that the shock waves did the damage that the sword itself would have done. She flinched as she heard the screaming of the people as they fell into the water, most not coming back up to the surface. When she couldn’t take any more, she yelled.

“Stop! Please, stop it!” Her hand outstretched toward him. “This is uncalled for! Those poor people!”

He sheathed his sword and turned to her, staring until she raised her gaze to his. “No, not _poor_ people. They are pirates. People who hurt others, who in the future could hurt your family.” He willed her to understand what he was saying. “By attacking first, I am defending not only us, but others who will have been overwhelmed and defeated.”

“You don’t know that for certain,” she shot back, and he snarled.

“They thought we were easy prey, and came after us to destroy us!” he growled at her. She lowered her head again, seemingly cowed. It seemed he could not put in words a way to make her understand, but perhaps… he could show her.

“Shall we see then?” he asked. He pointed to the largest ship that was sailing away as quickly as it could manage. “I left their flag ship damaged, but still able to sail. Let’s follow after them, and see what they do.”

“For what purpose?” she asked.

“Understanding,” he stated. “So that you will see the consequences of inaction.” 

She sat silently in thought, looking in his eyes for answers before saying, “Very well,” and she picked up her oar. “I will not be able to catch them on my own,” she said with a hint of a smile, trying to dispel the tense air between them.

He smirked back. “We will let them feel as if they escaped. We’ll get a better idea of what their true intentions are.” He sat back down, reclining so that he could go back to sleep. He sighed in content as Ashley started slowly moving the boat after the huge ship. Letting his frustrations out on the pirates had been rather therapeutic, and he felt as though he would sleep well now.


	11. Reese

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted two chapters of my other story, so I felt like I should post one here too, even if it's only been 4 days. I never was good with a rigorous schedule! It's a little longer, but hope you enjoy!

“I think maybe I’m just cursed. I’ve racked my brain, and it’s the only logical conclusion I’ve come up with,” I said dramatically.

Ririka laughed gently, as she continued to prepare ingredients for dinner later. “I’m sure there is an actual, logical reason Reese.”

“Really?” I asked. “because I can’t find it.” I went closer and hopped up to sit on the counter next to where she was working. I started recounting the facts. “One, I invite nice friendly people to come into town and have a meal with me. Two, said people agree. Three, said people then do not show, and four, said people are suddenly too busy to speak to me again.” I rested my elbow on my leg and my head in my hand. “And it keeps happening, it’s not like it is an isolated incident. The only other answer I can think of… is something is wrong with me,” I said. Then quickly raised my head again, “but I don’t believe that, so obviously, I’m cursed.”

Ririka had stopped her chopping to smile at me. “Well, I cannot fault your logic. Though, I still think something else is going on.”

“Why not just drag the next one in right away, instead of making plans for later?” C.C. said as she walked into the kitchen. 

I laughed with her. “That would be quite the sight, wouldn’t it?” I said. “Me pulling in some unsuspecting person saying, “no, we’re eating now!” I can see it will go great!” I said with a grin.

“You know you can always just stop asking,” C.C. said. “You don’t need a date that badly, right?”

I laughed at her sarcastic tone. “It’s not that, and you know it. I just want, you know, some friends.” I looked at them stricken by the implication of what I just said. “You two are the best, you know that, right? But, I was hoping to have some friends my age to spend some of my time with.” That didn’t sound any better. “I mean…”

“We understand.” Ririka said, squeezing my shoulder. 

“Yes, we do” C.C. added. “But if they treat you like this, then they are not worth it, all right?” she asked.

“Thanks,” I said with a smile. “You really are the best!”

“Of course we are,” C.C. said, then pulled me towards the back door. “Why don’t you go take a walk?” she said. “Go clear your head, so you’ll be of use to me during dinner. We’ll be busy then, and I need you at your best.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” I said.

“I’m sure, now get out” she said as she pushed me out the door. 

I smiled. People around town had many words to describe C.C. but not many knew her as Ririka and I did. She acted as though she was selfish, but she would move mountains for those she cared about.

 

\- - - - - 

 

I wanted to enjoy the meadows and farmland just outside the edge of town, with only a small detour to grab an apple from Corbin as a snack. I was whistling as I walked around the building and over to his stand. 

“Excuse me,” I heard someone say.

I looked over to see a guy in with a bandanna on his head, dark pants and a white shirt that reminded me of the muscle shirts guys back home wore; meaning, it fit well and showed off his muscles. 

“Yes?” I answered, flipping my coin over to Corbin, and ducking in front of the stall so he couldn’t throw it back. The guy gave me a strange look, but I simply smiled and shrugged. 

“Can you point me to a restaurant? I’ve been looking all over and can’t seem to find one” he said, and I gave him a quizzical look, and pointedly looked across and down the street at the restaurant before looking back at him. But, he seemed serious and determined, so maybe he had just missed it or come from the opposite direction.

“Sure,” I answered as I stood. “It’s right up the street there, on the left.” I pointed over to the place.

“Thanks,” he said and walked away with a wave of his hand.

“Hmm, weird” I said under my breath, and turned back to Corbin to collect my apple, refusing to take back the beri I used to pay for it. In response, he gave me a second apple. I looked crossly at it, but realized that I probably wouldn’t eat again until after dinner service was finished, so I took it and waved, starting off toward the edge of town.

I walked briskly and tossed one of my apples up in the air and catching it as it fell, like a baseball. I made it out to the small meadow and ate one as I leaned against the fence. As nice as it was to get away, I was still upset, and confused. First Greg, then Charlie… then Yoku, Jerry, and most recently Shiro. It didn’t make any sense, that every single one of them would suddenly decide to shun me… but none of them would even talk about it, simply saying they were too busy to talk, too busy to see me, just… too busy.

“Hey!”

A shout brought me out of my depressing thoughts, and I turned to see the muscle guy from before stalking towards me with a scowl. 

“Um, yes?” I asked confused.

“Those were the worst directions ever,” he said. My mouth dropped open in shock. Was he serious?

“Wait, you missed the restaurant, so you went the opposite direction to come and tell me my directions were bad?!” I said unbelieving. “That’s crazy!”

“No,” he said. “I followed your directions, and ended up out here!”

Whoa, this guy must have the worst sense of direction ever, or he is playing a major joke on me. I wonder if C.C. put him up to this to cheer me up in some weird way. In the quiet, I could hear when his stomach made a huge growling noise. My eyes went wide, and he looked at me embarrassed and blushing slightly. 

I changed my mind about him in that instant. Most muscle heads that I know, would never look embarrassed, let alone blush in front of a woman. I immediately handed him my other apple.

“No, that’s-”

“Just take it, I already ate one, and this one is an extra.” I said and I stepped up and threaded my arm through his, enjoying the guarded look he gave me. “Seriously, it will make up for my bad directions.” I used air quotes, but he missed that as he nodded and immediately started inhaling the apple. I pulled on his arm to get him walking with me. “I’m headed to the restaurant myself, so I’ll take you there. Oh, and my name is Teresa,” I added.

“Roronoa Zoro,” he said in between chewing.

“Nice to meet you, Zoro” I said. “and I’m sorry, but I have to ask… what’s up with the three swords?”

“Hmm?” he asked with his mouth full, turning his head to look at me.

“I mean, are you just trying to look intimidating? Or do you normally break one so you carry a spare? Or do you wait to decide which to use by who you are fighting?” My mind was whirling with the possibilities.

He swallowed. “No, I use a three sword style of fighting, so I use all of them at once.”

That was unexpected. “Seriously? How do you hold the third one?” I asked, curiosity peaked.

“With my teeth,” he smirked at me. My eyebrow quirked up, as I considered the picture of swords in both hands and one in his mouth, and shrugged. 

“Interesting,” I said. “Are you good?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said. “And one day, I’ll be the best.” I nodded with a smirk of my own. “Why don’t you have a weapon?” he asked me. 

“There’s a marine base on the island,” I answered. 

“And?” he asked, and he rose in my estimation again. He was smart, and able to read between the lines.

“The marine captain believes only marines and criminals need weapons.” I said, and he nodded and fell silent. I decided to lighten the subject matter. “By the way, I’d better warn you that I’m cursed,” I said.

“Cursed?” he asked with a disbelieving look on his face.

“It’s true,” I sighed dramatically. “Everyone I invite to the restaurant ends up going hungry.” 

“What happens to them?” he asked with a smirk, hearing my teasing tone.

“No one knows,” I wiggled my fingers in front of me. “They simply never arrive.”

“Perhaps it was your directions,” he deadpanned.

There was a pause, then I burst out laughing. “Oh, I set you up perfectly for that one!” I laughed, and he chuckled along with me.

“I’m not afraid of curses,” he said as we walked up to the restaurant. I smiled, as he opened the door and gestured me in.

 

\- - - - - 

 

Dinner wasn’t very busy, so I was able to spend some time talking to Zoro. It was really nice to be able to talk to someone new, even though he wasn’t a very talkative person. But after hearing someone else call him a pirate hunter, I insisted on stories about pirates he had caught. He didn’t seem to embellish anything, and only told the basics, but I was still fascinated. It was the first I had heard about the world outside of this island, and I was determined to get as much information as possible.

I kept bringing him food to keep him in his chair at the bar, and eventually he refused any more, though he never refused refills on his drink. And he kept insisting to pay me back once he got another pirate bounty.

I was in the kitchen when I heard the noise. It sounded like muffled screams, and laughter. I walked out to see what was happening, only to see a large wolf dog going from table to table scaring people and eating messily from their plates while the captain’s son simply laughed.

My hands were in fists at my sides, and I was boiling mad. This moron brought trouble everywhere he went, and he did it on purpose just because he could. He looked over at me with a smirk, saying “Anyone who tries to stop him will be executed.” The two marines behind him just stood there doing nothing!

I started moving towards him when I was stopped by Zoro’s hand on my arm. I looked down at him, and saw him shake his head, but I was not to be deterred. I ripped myself away from Zoro as I saw Rika come out of the back with a broom heading towards the dog. She started to swing it, yelling “Shoo!” when I grabbed it from her, and pulled her behind me just in time for the dog to be right in front of me, snarling.

“Rika!” I could hear Ririka cry from behind me.

“Good dog” the moron said, as he sauntered over to us. 

“What are you doing here?” I asked though I kept my eyes on his dog. “I thought you hated it here.” 

“Just tired of waiting for my invitation,” he replied cockily. I looked at him confused, so he clarified. “Everyone else received an invitation to eat here, so I waited for mine, but it didn’t come.”

I don’t know how I knew at that moment, but I just knew that he had something to do with my _curse_. He probably WAS my curse. I glared at him, noticing his knowing smirk, and got even more mad. 

“That should tell you something then,” I responded angrily, and heard a few laughs covered up by coughs. 

“You should think about what you’re saying,” he grit out. “It would be smart to be my friend, not my enemy. It’s not worth your life.”

“I’d rather be friends with the dog,” I said with contempt, and saw his face redden with anger before he calmed himself.

“Fine, though you may regret that later,” he said. “They’re all yours Sora” he said to the dog as he sat back down. 

My attention was quickly brought back to the dog in front of me, as it started growling and snarling at me. Rika was gripping the leg of my pants in a death lock, and all I could think as I saw the dog crouch in preparation to leap at us, was to protect Rika.

Just as he bunched to spring at us, a footstool came flying across the room and hit him right in the face. He turned toward the offender, as did the rest of us, and saw Zoro’s back. My mouth was an O as I watched the dog spring, but he went after Zoro instead of me. In quick movements I could hardly process, his sword was out, the dog was hit, and he wiped off his sword before sheathing it again. 

The room was silent as we all stared at Zoro. He had just saved us, he was amazing! He was already sitting back at the bar, drinking his drink and acting like nothing had just happened. Helmeppo looked like he would explode, he was so angry. 

“Who the hell are you?!” he demanded. 

I stepped in between them, arms crossed, glaring at him. “This is my friend Zoro, the pirate hunter,” I said to him and watched as he paled. He seemed to gather his courage and pushed me aside so hard that I fell over, as he stalked over to Zoro, swinging a sword towards his face.

Zoro was ready for him however, and he struck the sword with his boot, causing it fly out of Helmeppo’s hand. Helmeppo’s scream was cut short as Zoro’s fist plowed into his face. I grinned as I saw him fall back into the bar. He held his face, shocked that he had been struck, then cringed in fear as Zoro stood over him with a sword at his throat.

I don’t know where he found the courage to smirk up at Zoro, but he did. “Go ahead, but you won’t be able to save your friend,” he said, causing Zoro to glance at me before turning back to him with a glare. “My father won’t take kindly to this, and she will most likely be executed,” he stated. “But…” he paused and the sly look he had made me very suspicious. “Perhaps we can simply handle this ourselves, between men.”

Zoro said nothing, but his sword moved away from Helmeppo slightly and taking that as a sign, he continued. “Normally she would be strung up in the yard at the base. However… if you take her place say, for thirty days? I’ll let her go. And because I’m such a nice guy, if you survive all thirty days, I’ll let you go at the end of it too.”

“What?!” I said incredulously. “I didn’t even do anything! It was YOUR dog that-”

“Thirty days then.” Zoro agreed, interrupting me. I looked back at him in shock, ready to argue but he was already surrendering his swords to the marines. 

“Zoro, you can’t…” I started, trying to stand and move over to him at the same time, which was not working well.

He smirked at me. “I’ve been through worse” he said, and Helmeppo laughed as the marines escorted him out.

“He says that like he thinks he’ll survive,” Helmeppo said quietly to me, then laughed again and followed the marines out the door while I just looked on, unsure of what to do.

 

\- - - - -

 

“C.C. I don’t care if you have to make something up! I need to go to the base, and make sure Zoro is still alive. If I have a delivery, then I won’t be instantly suspicious!” I was pacing in front of her table, unable to sit still any longer. “The guy did this so that I wouldn’t have to, the least I can do is make sure he doesn’t starve to death!”

“Reese, I understand, really, I do.” She spoke calmly to me, but it only agitated me further. “But you need to look at the big picture here. If you are caught, you’ll be strung up beside him at best, but most likely executed.”

“I don’t care!” I yelled.

“Well you should!” she yelled back, which made me stop pacing and stare at her. “It’s not just you Reese,” she said quietly, commanding my attention. “After executing you, they would begin looking for your accomplices, and then all of us would be in danger too…” She gave me a sympathetic look, and noticing the determined look on my face, she sighed. “All right, I’ll give you an actual delivery, BUT-” She paused in order to stress her conditions for her concession. “You can only get information. Absolutely no trying to sneak him food” she said, and I nodded along.

“I promise,” I replied. And felt a huge weight lift from me. “Thank you, C.C.. Thank you”

 

Later that evening, when everyone was in bed, I snuck down to the kitchen, and packed a few things into a bag. I was true to my word earlier, and did not try to get Zoro any food while I was there, though I was severely tempted to. I was appalled at his state, tied up to a cross stuck in the ground, and left out in the elements for the past five days. He looked as though he had been beaten, and I was ready to beat some marines in return.

“What are you doing?”

I whirled around, startled. _“Rika!”_ I hissed, and shushed her. _“Quiet!”_ I whispered.

She looked sheepish and tried again. _“What are you doing?”_ she whispered. She looked at the food I was placing in my bag. “Sneaking food to Zoro?” she smiled, excited at the idea. 

_“Shh! No, Rika you can’t come,”_ I whispered, anticipating her question.

Apparently seven year olds are my Achilles' heel, though I was very glad that I had given in and let her help me. We had since snuck out three separate times and given Zoro some food and water. He tried to refuse, but he had little chance against my stubbornness, and finally gave in.

\- - - - - 

A few days later during breakfast, C.C. and Ririka stood in front of me frowning, and I knew I was in trouble. There wasn’t anything I could say, because it was true that I had endangered them. I wanted to argue, but I could see that they were scared of the repercussions. Then they banned me from the kitchen. I understood, even if I didn’t agree.

But then I discovered that they were more scared than even I understood. I went to the market, and at every stall I was refused. No one would sell me food, not even Corbin, though he gave me a sorrowful look and an apology. I don’t know how she did it, but C.C. had blocked me on every side.

She continued her campaign by giving me more deliveries and errands than I could handle, keeping me so busy that I would barely finish before the restaurant closed at night. I was so exhausted, that I couldn’t think of trying to sneak out, even if I actually had food to take.

 

\- - - - -

 

Rika could tell that Reese was upset, but she wasn’t sure what she could do to help. Reese hadn’t told her mom that she had helped sneak food to Zoro, and Rika was worried about him too. It had been ten days since they had last taken him food, and she was sure he was VERY hungry. She got so hungry if she skipped even one meal, and he had skipped days and days of food.

Zoro had saved them from that awful Helmeppo and his dog, and now he was being punished for it. _What would Reese do if she were me?_ she thought. _Probably take food to Zoro herself. Hmm…_ She knew her mom would never let her, so she would have to be sneaky about it… and she would have to apologize to her after.

“Mom?” She walked into the kitchen where her mother was preparing food for breakfast.

“Yes Rika?” she asked her.

Now or never. “I… I want to help cheer Reese up. Do you think I could help make her breakfast?”

Ririka smiled. Rika was such a kind girl, and didn’t like to see anyone upset. “Sure sweetheart, what would you like to make for her?”

Rika thought for a moment. “Some rice balls?” she asked. “Would that be okay?”

“I’m sure she would love that,” she replied, and Rika felt funny for tricking her, but knew this was the only way to help Reese, and Zoro. After she finished preparing her treat, she decided to just take them to Zoro right now. That way Reese couldn’t get in trouble again, and Rika wouldn’t go out at night alone.

 

\- - - - -

 

I stopped, confused as I walked into the restaurant and saw Rika sitting by two strange, young looking guys. Though, I think I was mostly staring at the one guy’s pink hair. Can you blame me? It was pink! 

I started walking towards them, wanting to get an introduction when the door slammed open, and Helmeppo and his two marine lapdogs walked in. He took a seat and put his feet on the table, demanding free food.

All of the stress and anger of the past two weeks came to a boil and I stalked over to his side, and grabbed his jacket, yanking him upwards. 

“YOU are not welcome here,” I spit at him. “GET OUT.”

He found this funny, rather than intimidating as I had hoped. “Are you sure about that?” he asked, smoothing his lapel where I had gripped it. “people have been executed for less,” he threatened.

“I’m so SICK of your threats!” I said, my voice getting louder, as I lost control of my temper. “You’re just a spoiled brat, who doesn’t know how to do anything for himself and runs to “daddy” to solve all his problems!”

He sneered at me. “I’m bored,” he said and turned to walk away. “I suppose I’ll just execute Zoro to liven things up.” He turned his head to wink at me, and continued out.

“Wait!” I called, furious and scared that he would actually do it. I didn’t get far, as the dark haired guy next to Rika stormed up and grabbing Helmeppo’s shoulder turned him around as his other fist slammed into his face.

I stopped and stared, and grinned in satisfaction as Helmeppo started screaming threats as he ran out.

I turned to my mysterious benefactor, and smiling put out my hand to shake his. “I’m Teresa,” I said.

“Monkey D. Luffy” he responded, and gripped my hand with a brilliant smile of his own. He pointed to the pink haired guy, “and that’s Coby.” 

“Nice to meet you,” I said as Rika tugged on my hand. I looked down at her in question.

“Is he really going to hurt Zoro, Reese?” she asked me. Before I could answer, Luffy did with a chuckle.

“Shi shi shi, not if we can help it!” he said and grabbed a straw hat, placing it on his head. “Let’s go Coby!” saying that, he took off out the door, with Coby running behind him, trying to keep up. 

I looked back at C.C. and saw her shake her head in answer to my unasked question, then looked back at the door wistfully. _Good luck Luffy,_ I thought. _I hope you can help him._

 

\- - - - -

 

I had never seen so many people crammed into the restaurant in all my life, but it seemed like everyone wanted to hear them recount their fight with Captain Morgan. Coby seemed to enjoy the attention, though he also looked nervous. Zoro and Luffy kept pace with each other as they ate plate after plate of food, with Zoro succumbing to a full stomach long before Luffy finished. Several people offered C.C. money to help pay for their feast, but she refused saying their meal was on the house.

I continued to serve food and drink, enjoying the atmosphere, and relishing the fact that everyone was all right. I stopped and looked around as I heard Rika say my name.

“What?” I asked her.

“Coby was saying it is his dream to join the marines, just like you Reese!” she exclaimed. 

I gave Coby a smile and said “that’s because great minds think alike, right Coby?” I saw Coby’s cheeks pink in embarrassed pleasure and I giggled. 

Luffy made a disappointed sound. “Sorry Zoro, guess asking her to join us won’t work” he said. 

“Join you?” I questioned.

“Yeah! My pirate crew!” he exclaimed. “I’m going to be king of the pirates!” and I smiled, though I had a weird feeling of Deja vu. 

“And Zoro?” I asked.

“He’s my first crew member!”

“Wait, what?” Zoro spluttered. You don’t have a crew yet?” he asked.

“Nope! It’s just us.” Luffy replied with a grin.

“Do you even have a ship?” Zoro asked exasperated.

“Yep!” Luffy cheerfully said. “It’s right there!” We all looked out toward the dock, to see a tiny rowboat with a small sail attached. Zoro groaned, and I thought I heard him mutter “what did I get myself into?” but I can’t be sure of that. 

After that, everything happened so fast it all blurred together. 

Before I knew it Coby and I were both signed on as marine recruits, saluting and waving goodbye with the entire town to Luffy and Zoro as they sailed away.


	12. Dru

I felt like I was walking to the principal’s office. Though I wouldn’t really compare Dragon to a principal, being summoned to his office made me think of anything that I could have done wrong. My training was going well, but perhaps not as well as they hoped? Or maybe it was that Sabo and I still didn’t really get along? 

Koala was just finishing telling me that she would be heading out on another mission when a messenger gave me the summons, and escorted me there. Now I stood outside of Dragon’s office, thinking up all the worst case scenarios instead of going in to find out what the truth was.

I finally decided anything had to be better than what I was imagining, so I knocked on the door. Once I heard “enter” I opened the door and slipped inside.

“Ah, Miss Dru. Thank you for coming. Though I did wonder if you were going to change your mind…” Dragon said as he smiled at me.

“Sorry sir,” I replied. “I suppose I was worried that I was in trouble,” I hid my eyes in embarrassment.

Dragon smiled. “Nothing like that, I assure you.” He gestured for me to sit, and I did so, getting more comfortable now that I was no longer worried I had done something wrong. Dragon cleared his throat. “I’d like to send you with a group on a mission,” he said, taking me by surprise. 

“But…” I responded. “Do you think I’m ready for that?”

He smiled again, almost looking proud. “I think so, and this will be an opportunity for you to prove it, to yourself.”

I sat there, shocked. He could read me pretty well. I didn’t feel ready but I thought, if he thought so, then I was. 

I said the only thing that I could think to say, “All right, who will I be with, and what is our objective?”

Needless to say, his smile grew bigger at that.

\- - - - -

 

I disembarked from the ship behind Wayne, the man who was leading our mission. The objective was simple enough, we needed information and we had been sent to gather it. The unofficial ruler of this island, Mr. Phrat, was a man that controlled most of the land and businesses, and we were confident that he had the information we were after.

We were dressed as pirates, and tried to conduct ourselves in the same manner. I was the ship’s engineer, mostly because the stereotype was that engineers were strange due to their lack of contact with others. That way, I wouldn’t stand out too badly if I messed up, though I was still a nervous wreck.

After waiting for the scouts, we finally were on the move. There were some that were tasked with distraction and the rest of us were on infiltration. I tried to tell myself that nothing would go wrong, however I didn’t really believe it. I stuck as close to Wayne as I could get.

We spent most of that day shopping for supplies, which was our cover. In actuality, we were finding out anything and everything about Mr. Phrat and his activities. Come dusk, we gathered back on our ship to share what we had learned.

“What?” Several of us asked in shock, after hearing a horrible report.

“It’s true,” Anka, one of the scouts, said to Wayne. “They are little better than slaves, working all day to earn food and rent. The prices Mr. Phrat has set means that most people have no chance to better themselves.”

“Very well,” Wayne replied. “Moving on.”

Anka and I seemed to be the only ones truly upset by this, but we followed his lead. This was my first mission after all, I wasn’t exactly sure what all the protocols were.

I sat in silence as the reports continued, and finally as Wayne outlined his plan. I would not be accompanying the group, rather stationed as a sort of look out, outside Mr. Phrat’s mansion. It seemed like a job I would be able to do, so I nodded along.

 - - - - - 

The next day, I took my time walking through town. I needed to be outside the mansion at a certain time, and didn’t want to botch things by arriving too early or too late. I arrived at the appointed time, and gave the appearance of stopping to rest from my activities. There was a large tree off to the side of the road, so I went and sat under it, pretending to close my eyes.

After some time, I knew I needed to be moving on, but I hadn’t seen any evidence that the plan was even happening, though I suppose that was a good sign. I stood slowly, and made a show of checking that I had all my belongings, getting ready to walk away. 

Suddenly, I heard alarms blaring and voices yelling, and watched in shock as several of my people came running out the front of the mansion.

“Run for it!” one of them yelled to me, and I took off towards the ship. I kept glancing behind me, noticing that they were all faster than I was, and were rapidly catching up. We weaved back through the town, and headed for the docks. As we headed to the ship, I heard someone calling behind us.

“Please, take us with you!” I turned, and saw a man, barely older than me with a young boy in his arms. The boy was hanging on for dear life, and the man was pushing as hard as he could in order to catch us. We made it onto the ship, with the man close behind, and I could hear the shouts of the men sent to capture us.

“Hurry!” I called, as the ship started to pull away from the dock. The man was exhausted from his run however, and just sagged in defeat. Without another thought, I jumped back to the dock, took the boy and yelled, “Anka! Catch him!” Then grabbing him under his arms, I hefted him up and out into Anka waiting hands.

“Come on!” she called back, taking the boy over the railing and onto the deck.

I knew there was no way I could jump back, so I grabbed the man’s arm. “What’s your name?” I asked in a rush. I could see that Phrat’s men were almost upon us.

“Just go!” he said, crying. “Please take my son far away from here!”

“I don’t have time to babysit, you’re coming too!” I said and pulled him with me as I jumped into the water.

I wasted no time swimming towards the boat, and soon was being pulled along by the young father. It seemed the water gave him a second wind, and we swam as fast as we could. Anka dropped the rope ladder, and I had the father go first, then climbed up after him, falling to the deck and panting, trying to catch my breath.

I opened my eyes, as I could feel someone standing above me, and saw Wayne glaring at me.

“What did you think you were doing?” he snapped. “Never make decisions like that for yourself! There is a chain of command for a reason.”

“But-”

“No buts!” he cut me off. “If you are going to go on outside missions, you need to learn to look at the big picture. To know when it is right to go outside of orders, and when you can make a difference!” he hissed at me.

I looked over at the father and son, hugging and crying all over Anka who looked uncomfortable but was smiling.

“It made a difference to them,” I retorted, then stood and went to dry myself off.

\- - - - -

 

This time, the summons to Dragon’s office came as no shock at all. I knew that Wayne was upset with me, and that I would get a very bad review or whatever they did here. However, I knew that I had done nothing wrong, in fact, I was proud of myself. If Dragon was really upset with my actions, then I would gladly not go on missions anymore, and may even rethink why I had even joined them.

I approached the door and knocked, then entered after being invited to. I stopped short as I realized that Dragon wasn’t alone. Both Wayne and Sabo were with him.

“Miss Dru, please join us,” Dragon invited, and I walked over to the empty chair next to Wayne, facing Dragon who sat at his desk, with Sabo standing behind him. 

“Thank you sir,” I said as I sat down. I smiled at Dragon, as if I was pleased to be here, while inside I was dreading the way this could go.

“I’ve gotten the reports from your mission, and from your mission leader, but now I’d like to hear it from you,” Dragon said to me with a slight smirk. 

I may not be as stubborn as my sisters, but I was plenty stubborn, and if they were rethinking inviting me to join them, I’d make them work for it. “I don’t know what insight I could give you sir, it is pretty straightforward.”

I saw Sabo smirk as well, before controlling his features and asking, “How about motivation?”

“Motivation?” I echoed.

“Yes,” he responded, his face stern, but his eyes were laughing. “We know what you did, but why did you do it?” he asked.

I thought for a moment. “I don’t know that I had any underlying motivation.” I answered, and saw both men in front of me raise an eyebrow in question. “There were horrible stories from all the townspeople of what life was like on that island,” I continued. “And then someone was brave enough to try to get away, and he asked for help.” I cleared my throat, “so I helped him.”

“You had never met him before?” Dragon asked.

“Huh? No,” I responded, confused. “I still don’t even know his name.” 

“The man is Daichi, and his son is Eichi,” Sabo told me. “They are very grateful for your help, and have asked to stay with us, and help others as you helped them.”

My mouth formed an “o” as I looked at him in surprise. “They did?” I asked, not quite believing it.

“They did,” Dragon confirmed. “Wayne, you must be very proud to have had such a successful mission, not only completing your objective, but bringing back a recruit as well.” Wayne looked shocked, then embarrassed as he realized that his complaint was overruled. 

“Of course sir, thank you sir,” he said to Dragon.

“You are both dismissed,” Dragon said to us with a twinkle of a smile in his eyes, though his features were serious. As we stood and walked out, I stood even taller. It was nice to have my efforts validated! Wayne stopped me outside the door with a “good job”. I shook his hand, and congratulated him as well for his great leadership, and we parted ways.

 

As I was walking back towards my room, I was stopped with a hand on my shoulder, and I spun with my hands up to block the intruder. 

Sabo stood there laughing with his hands up in surrender. “Sorry Dru, but I was calling and you didn’t hear me.”

“Oh, sorry” I said, feeling my cheeks burn in embarrassment. “I guess I was in my own little world.” I glanced back at him. “What did you need?” I asked.

Now it was his turn to look embarrassed. “I- I just wanted to apologize, for the way I’ve been treating you,” he said. “Koala was right, though I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell her I said that.”

I giggled at that, “Yes, she would never let you forget it!” I said, and he groaned.

“So true! So it would be better if she doesn’t know.” He gave me a puppy eyed look, begging.

“Oh, all right. Your secret is safe with me,” I said, giving in. 

He became serious at my words and spoke again, “I’ve heard from Koala and Dragon that you’ve been through quite the ordeal before you joined with us. I’d be interested to hear about it, if you are willing…?” he asked.

I thought for a moment, realizing the olive branch he was handing me. “I think I would like that, though I must warn you, turn about is fair play,” I teased.

“I think I would like that too,” he said. “You hungry?”

“Famished,” I answered, and we headed off to get some dinner, and to finally get to know each other.


	13. Kia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems like Sundays are easiest for me to post, so that's the plan, just fyi. Please enjoy.

I woke up with a start, panting, trying to catch my breath, seeing Dalton in front of me. He must have had to wake me up again, which means I had been screaming in my sleep.

“Are you all right Kiana?” he asked quietly.

“Yes,” I said between my deep breaths, trying to get my heart rate back to normal.

“Another dream?” he asked.

“The same one, unfortunately,” I answered, still not looking him in the eye. “Thank you for waking me.”

“Not a problem,” he replied, standing up. “Get ready, and we’ll head out to patrol.”

I smiled then, remembering the long months of first convincing Dalton to let me join the army or rather the volunteers that took to walking patrols to help guard our island from another attack, then the time spent training before he would actually let me help. Not to mention all the time of therapy once Dr. Kureha came and took off my cast. After all that, I had just barely been able to start patrolling, and I was thrilled about it.

\- - - - -  

After all the devastation that occurred on the island, and the king running away from the fight to leave his citizens to die, everyone had come to a unanimous decision to change the name from Drum Kingdom. The problem now however, was no one could agree on a new name. So we all called it simply, our island, and decided to wait until we had a new King who could name the island. Everyone wanted Dalton to take the job, but he had refused.

That was when I opened my big mouth and suggested we all vote, mentioning that was how we got our leaders back in my homeland. The townspeople ran with the idea, and now we were a little over a week away from voting day, and no one had stepped forward to run against Dalton yet.

As for me, Zachary didn’t want me in his house any longer, and I couldn’t blame him. After Judith’s death, I wanted nothing to do with me either. But as he did for everyone, Dalton came to the rescue. He gave me a place to stay, and helped me to grieve, and then helped me get closer to my dream. I’m not strong yet, but I can shoot pretty accurately and I can keep from getting hit when we spar. I haven’t been able to beat him yet, but someday I will.

He even gave me a purpose, involving me in all of the preparations to protect the island, not only from marauding pirates, but from the eventual return of King Wapol. We both are certain he is returning; Dalton because he knows the king too well, and me because, well, because I know he will.

I got dressed in my warmest clothes, and headed outside to meet Dalton. We grabbed our sled, and started the patrol here in Big Horn, where we lived. We would make a large half circle to the other side of the island, stopping in Robelli town for lunch, and heading back being home in the early afternoon. We took turns with several other volunteers, though Dalton and I took extra shifts. This amounted to everyone having a patrol once every other week, with Dalton and I going twice a week. They didn’t think it was fair, but we insisted.

Our patrol was uneventful as always, and when we stopped for lunch, Dalton asked if I had noticed something strange. It was a game we played, testing my ability to be aware of my surroundings. He waited patiently, as was his way, but finally he gave me the answer.

“It hasn’t snowed at all today,” he said, and headed into the restaurant.

I scowled. “While that is a strange occurrence, that was definitely a trick question.”

“True enough,” he said with a small smile. “But now you are buying lunch.”

I groaned in defeat. He was winning this little game of ours, and days like today, I wished I hadn’t agreed to it, for I bought lunch twice as often as he did. He walked over to the bar and sat, and I noticed the stool he left for me was next to a guy dressed all in black.

I sat also, scooting my stool slightly closer to Dalton. Something about being too close to people I didn’t know has always been an issue for me. Dalton gave me a look, which I ignored, and I started glancing through the menu, though I always ordered Ramen. 

“The usual?” Chef Ryo asked as he came out of the kitchen, placing a plate full of food in front of the dark dressed man on my right.

“Yes for me, Kiana?” Dalton asked with a smile since I was still looking through the menu. 

“Yes please, chef,” I answered, folding the menu up and handing it to him.

“Are you okay with waiting a bit?” he asked us. “I’ve got to make more noodles, since he’s eaten my last,” he said with a grin nodding to the man beside me. The man looked over at us and tried to smile, though his mouth was full of food. “I’m shorry,” he said with his mouth full. “But it’s sho good!”

I heard Dalton laugh, but I couldn’t move. I just stared at him, not believing what I was seeing. I have no idea what my face looked like, but he looked embarrassed, and quickly swallowed what was in his mouth, wiped his face on his sleeve and turned fully to face me.

“Where _are_ my manners,” he said smoothly. “I apologize.” He gave a little head bow, tipping his black hat slightly. His eyes came back to meet mine, and I saw a smirk on his face. “My name’s Ace.” There was a pause as he eyed me curiously. “And you are…?”

I sat there still, and snapped out of my stupor when Dalton elbowed me. “Kiana!” I squeaked. Then proceeded to cough. Why did I always freeze around good looking guys? The dark hair and eyes, the cute freckles on his cheeks… The smirk just added to his appeal, and I’m pretty sure he knew it. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Um, sorry about that, I’m Kiana.” 

His smirk seemed to grow. “It’s a _pleasure,_ ” he drawled with another tip of his hat. I flushed and quickly turned back to face forward, mentally beating myself for looking so completely stupid. My mind was racing as I thought of the implications of seeing Ace here. He was looking for Blackbeard, which meant that Luffy was soon to follow. I couldn’t recall how long it was between Ace’s visit and Luffy arriving, but it couldn’t be that long, as Ace would end up waiting in Alabasta to see Luffy. As much as I was enjoying looking at Ace, I almost squealed at the thought of meeting the Straw Hat pirates.

“I’m sorry, what?” I turned again, as he had spoken to me, and realized that some sort of squeak had actually come out of my mouth. I could feel how red I got, though I tried to keep some semblance of composure. 

“N- nothing,” I managed to say in a relatively normal voice. 

“All right,” he commented.

Our food was soon brought out, and I tuned out the conversation Ace and Dalton were having over my head as I ate as quickly as I could. This was getting embarrassing, and I needed to get out of here before something even worse happened.

I tuned back in however, as I heard Dalton say my name. 

“- friend, her house was burned, and she had been shot. Kiana here carried her back home somehow even with her leg in a cast, and her crutches gone. The doctor did what she could, but we ended up losing her,” Dalton said sorrowfully.

I no longer had an appetite. I thought I had come to accept Judith’s death, but at times, it would just sneak up on me, and I had no defense. I could feel my eyes fill with tears, I pushed my plate of food away, and turned to stand up.

I could hear Dalton apologizing, but it was the hand that gripped mine that stopped me. I couldn’t see well through my tear filled eyes, but I could tell Ace was looking at me.

“I’m so sorry for your pain,” he said softly. “I wish that I had been able to catch him sooner. I promise, I will catch him, and he will _pay_ for what he’s done.” He had such conviction in his words, that I wanted to believe him, even though I knew otherwise.

“Thank you,” I whispered. I couldn’t say more than that, but I remained in my seat, and felt Dalton’s hand on my shoulder. I went to wipe my face, and found my hand still held in Ace’s, which had me blushing again, though I should be grateful as that stopped my tears. I pulled on my hand to free it, and wiped my face as best I could.

I looked back at my food, and knew that I couldn’t finish it, so I pushed the plate over in front of Ace. He gave me a look, and I nodded. He took the plate and added the food to his own, and continued eating.

“So, besides Blackbeard, have any other pirates come through here?” he asked casually.

“No,” Dalton replied quickly. “We have patrols set throughout the day to ensure pirates cannot land on our island again.” He said it with such finality, but I smiled as I thought of the irony. Dalton didn’t even realize he was telling this to a pirate.

Ace must have seen that I knew what he was, for he gave me a wink which caused me to snort with laughter. I immediately hid my face in my hands, for I knew I was blushing again, as I heard Ace chuckle.

He asked about Luffy, and gave us the message to give to him. I began to wonder where the men that he originally gave the message to were, and then freaked out about changing something in the timeline if Luffy were to get the message. I missed quite a bit of conversation for when I tuned back in, I heard Ace giving his farewells.

“Thank you for lunch Miss Kiana,” he told me with another cute hat tip. He started walking towards the door. 

Chef took that moment to come out of the kitchen and yelled, “hey!” I turned back to see Ace run out the door like a bullet. Chef turned to me, growling. “Looks like he stuck you with his tab.”

“Wait, _what?_ ”


	14. Ashley

I was finally able to stop rowing as I spotted the huge ship anchored up ahead. It had taken weeks due to storms and such, but we had caught up to the battered ship we were chasing, in a hidden cove.

“There, the stern,” Mihawk said quietly. I glanced at him, and then looked at the back of the ship, seeing a small sailboat tied to the larger vessel. We watched the ship for some time, but saw no sign of the pirates that were undoubtedly aboard.

I steered our boat down the shore from the cove, bringing it aground and securing the boat. We took some time to stretch, and made our way silently toward the cove. It took longer than I would have thought, but we finally reached the mouth of the cove and watched in irritation as the galleon sailed out and away.

I set my hands on my hips, and turned to Mihawk. He merely smirked at me, and started walking back to where we had left our boat. I turned to follow, using the walk back to stretch and massage my arms, preparing myself to row again.

 

\- - - - - 

 

The fog made visibility nearly impossible, yet Mihawk was quick to correct my heading whenever I veered off course, just as he had the entire chase. I looked and looked for his compass, or whatever he was using, but found nothing. He just sat, patiently waiting for us to catch up to the pirate ship, speaking only to alter our course.  
We soon could see the huge outline and shadow of the galleon in the distance, and started closing in. 

“Stop rowing now,” he told me, and I was more than happy to obey. “Our chase ends here,” he added as he stood, crossing his arms and gazing ahead. 

I was unsure of what he was doing, but he gave no further clue. I moved to peer around his seat, and as the fog had burned away in the morning sun, I could see our target was moored to a smaller ship.

“The Baratie,” he said, answering my unspoken question. I looked up, seeing his back to me. _How does he do that?_ I asked myself. I looked back to the ship, wondering whose it was, and how he knew it. 

“The sea restaurant,” he answered me again, and I had a moment where I wondered if he could read my mind. I waited, thinking he may answer me again, but there was only silence. I let out a sigh of relief.

After a few minutes, I decided to speak. “So, we caught up to them, now what will we do?” I asked.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder at me. “You, will observe. Nothing more.” His tone left no room for argument. “I… will finish what I started.” He turned his gaze forward and took his seat. “Let’s go,” he said, and I picked up the oar.

As we drew closer, I couldn’t see much, but I could hear shouting. It was hard to make out anything specific, but it wasn’t a good sign. Then I clearly heard a shout of “ATTACK!” ring out. Atop the galleon, men yelled, running towards the bow, using ropes to rappel down to the restaurant.

Mihawk stood quickly and glancing at me with a look of victory, unsheathed his sword and swung it in a complicated yet effortless move. I said nothing, because he had been right. These pirates were intent on hurting the first people they came across, and needed to be stopped.

It took only a moment, but it was eerily quiet, and I could hear the soft sound of the sword being sheathed. The next moment there was a large crash as the galleon was now in three separate pieces and crashing into the water. I didn’t have time to be impressed- it took all my skill and then some luck to stay afloat in the waves created by the huge sections of the ship falling into the water.

The pirates aboard the sinking vessel were screaming, swimming or hanging onto any part of their ship they could find. In contrast, the men aboard the sea restaurant simply stood on the deck, riding out the waves and looking like they had seen a ghost.

“Onward.” The order was quiet, but I caught it and slipped my oar back into the water. We drew even closer, and I could hear the quiet gasps. His name was spoken, again and again, the water bringing the voices out to us so they sounded from all around us. 

Mihawk stayed completely still, as if he didn’t hear it, but I know that he did. He reveled in the power of his name, the fear and awe that it brings.

In that moment, I realized that his huge chair was hiding me from sight and I snickered quietly at the image of Mihawk gliding forward on a boat that seemed to move itself. 

That image was gone as I heard a man speak, “Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you?” Mihawk turned his head with a smirk. “You ruined my nap” he said, causing many of the pirates to glare in anger at us. I paddled a little faster, trying to be invisible.

We were almost to the Baratie when the voice rang out. “Did you use that sword to slice up this ship?”

Mihawk and I both turned to the young man- _with green hair?_ \- standing in front of everyone else.

“I did,” Mihawk replied.

“So it’s true,” he said, awed. “You’re the best, the reason I set sail… to meet you.”

Mihawk wasn’t impressed. “And your goal?” he questioned.

“To BEAT you” the guy declared. I could sense Mihawk was intrigued, as he continued speaking with him. If not, he would have simply ignored him.

I watched as the green haired man pulled one of his three swords out and pointed it at Mihawk. “Not smart,” I muttered, as I rolled my eyes. His eyes pierced mine and he scowled at me. My cheeks grew hot as I realized he had heard me.

Mihawk leaped from the boat, and spoke with the man, mocking him in his ignorance and angering him as was his way of sizing up a competitor. I turned from the men, and started rowing the boat to bring it next to the Baratie. I hopped up from the small vessel, and sat on the deck of the larger ship, keeping my feet inside our boat so that it would stay put.

I watched the duel, seeing the way Mihawk toyed with him, as he often toyed with me. I was suddenly glad that there was no audience during my training. I grimaced along with the others when Mihawk buried his knife into the other man’s chest.

I glanced at the challenger, but my gaze returned to Mihawk. He had a look in his eye that I hadn’t seen in some time now. I watched as he pulled out his sword, knowing that the end of the fight drew near. The men struck out at each other, and I watched as two of the challenger’s swords broke. He faced Mihawk with his arms outstretched, leaving himself open. Mihawk struck, and gripping his third sword, the green haired man fell into the water.

From behind me there were screams of “ZORO!” and a few jumped into the water after their friend. I gaped along with everyone else as a guy behind me stretched his arm across the water and went barreling over to Mihawk, crashing into a piece of wreckage as Mihawk stepped aside.

The men in the water hauled up the defeated swordsman, and Mihawk called out to him. I sat, transfixed, as he spoke of the path that Zoro must walk in order to face him again, as he asked the young man to seek him out.

My feelings were erratic as I listened to Zoro swear to his captain that he would never lose again. I couldn’t believe his guts, could he really believe that there was no one else out there capable of besting him?

I was pulled from my thoughts as Mihawk landed in his boat. I stood and faced him, unsure of what to say or do as he leaned towards me.

“Stay here,” he said, quietly enough to ensure no one else could hear. “You must see this through to the end. I will return for you.” With that, he put his foot on the deck and shoved off. Taking his seat as the boat moved away. 

We all watched as Don Krieg tried to pick a fight with him, and I smirked as Mihawk shrugged him off as one would an insect. I watched Mihawk disappear from sight, then gaped as I realized that no one had been rowing. My brain began to hurt as I tried to explain it to myself, but had no answer.

“Men! We’re taking the ship!” Don Krieg shouted.

“Hey Pops!” the stretchable guy said, though I couldn’t tell who exactly he was speaking to. “If I take care of these pirates, can I stop doing chores?”

 

\- - - - -

 

I was standing still on the end of the deck under an archway, staring at the water where Mihawk had gone.

“Pardon me, mademoiselle, but will you come with me please?” the voice was very close, causing me to whirl around and step back instinctively. That step put me on the edge of the platform where we stood, and I over balanced and began to fall.

A hand gripped mine, pulling me back as I felt an arm circle around my waist. I was suddenly in a man’s arms after being ready to fall into the water, and blinking rapidly, I tried to clear my head.

“Watch your step, my princess. It would be a tragedy to have your beauty drenched by the sea,” I gaped at him as he spoke, my cheeks heating at this words. He was young, early twenties perhaps, and didn’t look like he belonged with either the cooks or the pirates.

He was wearing a dark suit and tie, with a blue striped button down. His blond hair was only slightly shorter than my own, and hung down blocking one eye completely. He seemed to be suave, but his eager voice and beaming smile betrayed the notion. 

“This restaurant is about to be a battlefield,” he continued, lifting me to my feet and guiding me towards the others still holding onto my hand, with his other arm around my waist. “If you would kindly stand by the old man, I’ll ensure that no harm will reach you,” he said.

We stopped in front of an older man with a taller hat than I had ever seen. He looked at the younger man and growled out “Let go of the girl Sanji.” 

Sanji gave the older man an angry look, but released me, taking a moment before retracting his arms to ensure that I was steady. His demeanor changed from night to day as he looked from the man back at me. “As the geezer said, my name is Sanji and I am the sous chef here at the Baratie. And your name is…?” he asked sweetly.

“Ashley,” I answered, unable to stop blushing. Most guys I knew back home treated me like one of the guys. I had _never_ been called a princess before, not even by my dad. I was totally unprepared for dealing with Sanji.

“Miss Ashley,” he gushed. “This is Chef Zeff, he owns the restaurant.” He looked away hearing his name being called. “Excuse me please,” he said, walking over to the other cooks.

I looked up at Chef Zeff, taking in his pegged leg, and his braided mustache. He was sizing me up as well, so I said the first thing that I had thought when I saw him.

“I love your mustache,” I said, then gaped as his cheeks turned pink. It was so adorable that I was immediately taken with him.

“Master Mihawk asked that I observe this fight to its finish,” I said. “Would it be all right if I stayed here with you, to watch?” I asked.

“Master…?” He cocked an eyebrow at me at the term. I nodded, embarrassed at the thought of what it might sound like to others. “He is teaching me how to defend myself,” I added, and saw him nod.

“And how did you and Hawkeye get involved with the pirates?” he asked with a smirk.

I grinned. “They thought we were easy prey,” I stated, making him laugh. He nodded to the empty space on his left, and I moved to stand beside him. 

Sanji returned then, smiling at me. Before he could speak, the young stretchable man bullet-ed out from the restaurant doors, flying over the water and taking out a large group of pirates. Zeff’s gaze stayed on the younger man.

“Sanji,” Zeff said, and Sanji turned his head to look at him. “Pay attention to how he fights. Don’t miss a moment.” 

\- - - - - 

 

I kept my place next to Chef Zeff, mimicking his pose- arms across our chests- and we observed the melee without speaking.

I took in everything I could, looking left and right, my gaze being drawn from the shouts of the cooks and pirates alike. I still didn’t know the dark-haired guy’s name, but everyone referred to him as “chore boy”, so I thought I understood his earlier words with Chef Zeff.

Sanji was by far the most skilled fighter of those protecting the restaurant. In fact, most of the others simply watched him take out the pirates, rather than engaging them. Even the chore boy was enjoying the show as he hung from a mast that was sticking out above the water.

A large man with shields worn as safety gear emerged onto the deck. He called himself Pearl, and I smirked as the chore boy came flying back to the ship, accidentally hitting the back of Pearl’s head causing him to face plant on the shield connected to his hand.

His anger was expected, but he took it to a whole new level as he used fire to try to scare the fighters away from him. He and Sanji were soon surrounded by a circle of flames. Don Krieg used this time to try to enter the fight, sending a huge mace on a chain straight for Sanji. 

Just in time, the chore boy jumped through the flames in front of Sanji, and sent it sailing back. My awe turned to a wince as I saw him running around, trying to put out the fire on his clothes.

I suddenly let out a noise that sounded like “hyuk!” as an arm wrapped around my throat pulling me against someone just as a shotgun hit Chef Zeff in the back, pitching him forward onto the deck. The man holding me put his foot on Zeff’s back and said, “This fight, is over.”

“Ghin! Kill the geezer, and the ship is ours!” Don Krieg shouted.

No one moved, and in front of us, only Sanji and the chore boy stood among flame and debris staring angrily at us.

“Hostages?” chore boy yelled. “That’s fighting dirty!”

“I’ll spare them,” the man behind me said. “But you have to leave. We are taking this ship, so don’t make this any harder than it is. Just go,” he said quietly.

Sanji looked down at Zeff's prone form. “I can’t believe you let this happen to Miss Ashley,” he said, the outrage apparent in his voice.

“What did you say, brat?” Zeff shot back.

“I can’t do that Ghin,” Sanji said, looking at the man holding onto me. “You should get your hands off Miss Ashley, before I kill you.”

My mouth fell open. Apparently it wasn’t only Mihawk who threatened death for minor infractions. Though, if I were being honest, I felt a little flutter inside at his words. 

Pearl used our situation to attack Sanji again, though he refused to fight back for fear that Gin would use his shotgun. Chore boy and the other cooks, and even Ghin tried to talk him into fighting or giving up but Sanji just took each hit. After a nasty hit to the face, he fell forward and laid there for a moment. 

We were all shocked as he began to get back to his feet, and Ghin called out, “Why are you doing this? Just stay down!”

Sanji smiled, and lit a cigarette. “The old man lost everything because of me. I won’t let him lose this restaurant! And I’d rather die than see Miss Ashley harmed!” he yelled.

Hearing a yell, we all looked to the chore boy, watching in awe as his leg stretched up straight into the sky. He brought it slamming back with a yell of “GUM GUM BATTLE AXE!” destroying the platform that they stood on.

“He destroyed the fin!” someone yelled.

“Ghin, blow his head off!” Don Krieg shouted. Ghin hesitated and Krieg shouted again. “Do it, do it now! Do not defy me!”

“What’s your problem?” the chore boy asked Krieg. “I haven’t sunk it, yet.”

 _“What!?”_ Sanji fumed, striding over and grabbing his shirt. “That’s what your planning?” He leaned in. “This ship saved my life, so don’t even think about it, Straw Hat!”

The boy in the straw hat, pushed Sanji’s hand away and grabbed his suit coat in return. “So, what? You’ll repay that debt by dying? Are you stupid?”

“Boys, boys” Pearl called out. “There’s no reason for friends to fight. You’ll BOTH die!” He let out a battle cry and came running for them. I let out an “oof!” as Ghin pushed me to the ground next to Zeff. Sanji and Chore boy glanced back to me, then turned back at the sound of steel against steel. Ghin had rushed forward, pulling out a pair of tonfa and struck Pearl’s armor, breaking it to pieces.

\- - - - - 

 

Pirates and cooks alike watched the fight between Sanji and Ghin, each blow seeming like the last that each man could take. I felt like I could hardly breathe, seeing Sanji spit out blood, holding his ribs. They went at each other again and I focused on them, tuning out the cheering around me. I gasped as in the end, Ghin stood over Sanji, his hand at Sanji’s throat. 

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned to Zeff. He was utterly calm, and I gained hope from that fact. I couldn’t see how Sanji would escape, but if Zeff believed, then so did I. 

To my shock, Ghin announced that he refused to kill Sanji. I turned to Zeff in shock, and saw the same look across the man’s face.

I grew angry, hearing Don Krieg demean and berate his commander, inwardly cheering at chore boy’s declaration that he would kick Krieg’s ass. 

This was the fight I had stayed to observe, after all. I needed to know what Mihawk was trying to teach me, though I was already learning much. If all pirates were like the Krieg pirates, it was no wonder why Mihawk would attack first. And if this was to be expected by this world, my sisters and I had to change in ways I wasn't sure we were truly capable of.


	15. Ashley-- continued

Patty and Carne opened the restaurant doors as the poison gas Krieg had shot at us dissipated. I stood frozen behind Zeff as the men hurried around, trying to save Ghin, as he had saved them. 

The chore boy started running towards Krieg, the cooks yelling, trying to bring him back. He could not be swayed, running faster towards the larger man, even as he was shot at. 

He reared back his hand, and Krieg pulled out his spike covered cape as protection. Chore boy never hesitated, punching through the spikes and crashing his fist into Don Kreig’s face.

We all grimaced in sympathy pain seeing the blood running from chore boy’s hand. Everyone was silent, listening to him speak to Krieg’s prone form about how it wasn’t time for him to die.

Sanji sat down heavily on Zeff’s other side, bleeding and grimacing in pain. The three of us stared out at the sight of chore boy standing over Don Krieg.

I watched, disgusted, as Krieg pulled out every dirty trick he could think of. Sometimes, chore boy would avoid the attacks, sometimes they would take him down. But every time, chore boy would go back to the fight. 

“He’s losing too much blood,” Sanji said. “There’s no way he can win this with Don Krieg having all those weapons.”

“No, you are wrong.” Sanji and I both turned to Zeff as he spoke. “No matter how many weapons he has, our chore boy can still bring him down, because he has no fear.”

We had no response to his words, and looked back out to the two fighters.

“Stand or fall, life or death,” Zeff continued. “You cannot have fear, or you will be lost.”

“What?” Sanji asked, confusion marking his voice. I could not look away, as chore boy got up yet again.

“That kid, when he fights,” Zeff stated. “He is not afraid of anything. Even _death_.” 

“But why?” Sanji asked. “Why does he keep fighting?”

I suddenly knew what Zeff was telling us. “He has heart,” I responded quietly. “He fights because he has something worth dying for.”

I looked to Zeff to see if I was correct. He didn’t look away from the fight, but I saw the smirk on his face, and a smile bloomed on mine. I looked over at Sanji, who was staring at the fighters, deep in thought. I suppose I wasn’t the only one learning from this fight.

We watched, stunned, as it seemed that chore boy was done for. First with explosions, then with bombs in the water destroying what he was standing on, then when Krieg captured him in a steel net. Through it all, chore boy kept fighting to the point where his final blow came just before he fell into the ocean.

The cooks all around us cheered, while the pirates gaped in shock or cried for their captain. I looked up as Zeff took my arm, turning to guide me inside. “Sanji, if you’re finished daydreaming, go save that kid.” Sanji looked up, perplexed. “He can’t swim,” Zeff added, causing Sanji to jump up in shock. 

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner, you crazy geezer!” Sanji tore off his shoes and jacket and dove in the water. I smiled at Zeff and walked over, picking up the jacket, shoes, and straw hat that were on the ground. I turned back and followed him inside the restaurant.

 

\- - - - -

I came out of the bedroom, blushing furiously. Zeff looked up and smirked at me. 

“The kid doing okay?” he asked me. I had been helping to patch up chore boy, since the other cooks were busy cleaning up after our adventure.

“Yes,” I muttered. “He’ll be fine.” 

“And, Sanji?” he asked. My blush intensified, and I ducked my head, heading outside. I could hear Zeff laughing as he followed me out. “Don’t let him bother you,” he said. “He can’t help but flirt with anything female.”

His words helped to get rid of my embarrassment, but I couldn’t help but be disappointed. Even though I wasn’t used to someone flirting with me, it had been nice. On the other hand, I had been so stupefied, I hadn’t been acting like myself. I resolved then and there to not let it affect me anymore.

"I'm just not used to it," I said, as we walked towards the kitchen. "I was always one of the guys."

Zeff glanced over my way, and smiled. "You'll never feel that way here. All women deserved to be treated as queens." My eyebrow raised in question, but he didn't say anything more. I had the thought that perhaps Zeff was the reason for Sanji's viewpoint as well. 

 

\- - - - -

The bell rang, and the cooks assembled in the restaurant. Zeff offered me a seat, and within moments, all the other seats were taken. I watched as Sanji and chore boy came in, and were directed to sit on the floor. I glanced around, for that couldn’t be normal. Several of the cooks were smirking, and a few looked nervous. Something was definitely going on.

Suddenly Patty stood up, demanding to know who had prepared the soup. Sanji called out from his place on the floor that he had, and wasn’t it good? I had been tearing into a steak, and had not yet sampled the soup. I went to pick up my spoon, but my hand was covered by Zeff’s. I looked over at him, and he shook his head slightly.

“Are you joking?!” Patty asked. “I can’t stomach it!”

My eyes grew wide as cook after cook slammed their spoons down and shouted their displeasure at Sanji’s soup. Zeff interrupted, “We don’t waste food, eat every drop.” I went to pick up my spoon again, but found his hand cover mine again. He reached under, and took the spoon away.

Zeff finished his soup and stood, then threw the bowl on the floor.

“That tasted like stewed garbage!” he exclaimed. Sanji had finally had enough, and strode over grabbing Zeff by his collar.

“It tastes exactly like yours!”

“What?” Zeff shouted. “Don’t flatter yourself!” With a punch, he flung Sanji away. “I’ve been cooking longer than you’ve been alive, you little brat!” At that, Sanji jumped up and ran out the door.

Chore boy went and got another helping of soup, and seeing that, I grabbed the nearest spoon and tried it.

“Wow,” I said. “I know I don’t have a refined palate or anything, but that’s delicious!”

“Mm-hmm!” chore boy agreed, forgoing a spoon, and drinking it from his bowl.

“We know it is.” Chef Zeff said, looking defeated. “He’s an outstanding chef.” The cooks all agreed, nodding along.

“You have a funny way of showing it,” I said with a frown. They probably didn’t even know how they had hurt him.

“Well, he won’t listen to us! He’s too hard-headed.” Zeff shot back. He turned to chore boy. “You said you were going to the Grand Line, right?” Chore boy nodded. “Will you take him with you?”

He looked surprised at Zeff’s offer, but shook his head. “No,” he answered. “He wants to stay and cook here with all of you.”

“Hmm,” Zeff mused. “So, you would need him to tell you himself.”

“Yep!” Chore boy grinned, then holding out his plate for the fifth time said, “more food please!”

 

\- - - - - -

Luffy was ready to set sail, and Sanji had said something about getting his things together, and though it wasn't my place, I followed and knocked on his door, feeling nervous. It opened, and Sanji looked at me in surprise, then grinned. “Miss Ashley, what a pleasant surprise! Would you like to come in… _my room?!?”_ The last bit sounded a bit eager, which had me thinking of how badly I'd be out of my league, so I squashed that thought immediately.

“No thank you, Sanji, I merely wanted to speak to you for a moment.” I turned around and leaned on the balcony railing, looking out to the water. Sanji joined me, waiting quietly for me to speak.

“It’s none of my business, but I wondered if you truly weren't saying goodbye to Zeff.” I said quietly. I could feel his surprise at my words, and assumed he would be angry, so I continued before he could yell at me. “It’s just that… I would give anything to have been able to say goodbye to my parents. _Anything._ ” I paused, calming my emotions before they get out of control. “I just wanted to say, don’t let the opportunities pass you by, you don’t want to live with regrets.” With that, I stood upright and swiftly walked away.

\- - - - - 

Sanji stood there, watching her leave. He had been scolded and berated many times in his life, but never quite so nicely before. He wondered why she hadn’t been able to say goodbye to her parents, and wished he had tried to console her. However, her words had struck something within him. _“live with regrets…”_ He knew too well what that was like, and no, he didn’t want that at all.

He walked slowly through the restaurant with his bags, memories surfacing. Learning to cook, learning to fight. Every memory, every thought involved Zeff, and Sanji wasn’t sure what to do. He walked out towards his new ship, his new crew… his new life.

“Sanji,” He froze as Zeff called to him. “Take care of yourself, all right?” 

_Hold it in, don’t cry.. don’t cry_ he told himself, but the tears came anyway. He turned around and looked at the man who not only saved his life, but had given him a new one; full of purpose, full of dreams.

“Chef Zeff!!” He called out. “I owe my life to you, you old geezer! SO THANK YOU!” It was all he could say, the tears streaming down his face. 

 

\- - - - -

I could hardly believe my ears, let alone my eyes. The cooks all around me were crying openly as they berated Sanji for causing it. I looked up to Zeff on his balcony, wiping the tears from his own eyes. 

“Men should depart without a word, let alone tears,” he said and I scoffed. Little did they know that they all had gone up in my estimation. It was validating to see how much they cared for each other. I grinned as Luffy called out, “Set sail!”

My eyes met Sanji’s and he grinned back at me. I waved goodbye, and he gave me a small bow, and with a final wave to everyone else, jumped aboard the small boat.


	16. Reese

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously...
> 
> Luffy tries to offer Reese a place on his crew, but is disappointed when she is determined to join the marines. Luffy and Zoro set sail, and Reese and Coby enlist in the marines, while Helmeppo is also given a place among them as a kindness seeing as he has nowhere else to go. Reese is a recruit and Coby and Helmeppo are placed as chore boys.

“All right recruits! Twenty laps, in formation! Hup, two, three, four!”

I counted off with the other recruits as we ran laps around the base, noticing how I was able to keep pace without tiring, and congratulated myself for my hard work.

During my first week, as reality sank in, I had an epiphany of sorts. 

Hearing Luffy, Zoro and even Coby talk about their dreams had made me realize that I had spent all my time here without coming a single step closer to my own. I needed to find my sisters, and I needed to be able to join them when I did. In order to do that, I needed to be strong enough to conquer all those that who stood in my way just like Luffy and Zoro did with Captain Morgan.

It could take a long time, but even longer if I didn’t focus on my goal. So decided, I refused anything that didn’t get me closer to achieving my dream of getting my sisters and getting home. Several of the people I had befriended previously tried to resume our friendship now that there wasn't something held over their heads, but I just didn’t have time.

I spent all my free time either studying, or working on my training. I had drive and ambition to be the best, to move up quickly. And now, I was finally seeing results.

I glanced up and saw Coby hanging from a rope, washing windows. Due to his past run-ins with pirates, Lieutenant Ripper had decided to start him at the bottom as a chore boy. I had felt bad for him, but he simply took it all in stride, and did every job given to him with a smile, even after getting saddled with Helmeppo.

We finished our laps, and came back to the middle of the field, lining up for drills. There was a loud commotion, and we all turned to see Coby and Helmeppo fighting while on the roof of the mess hall. The officer running our drills ran over, and we followed, wanting to see the action.

There were a few winces from others at the sight of punches or kicks connecting, and no one was prepared for when the two of them rolled right off the roof. 

A few of us started walking towards them to help, but froze as we saw the cannon that they had fallen near, was now aimed straight for us. The cannon that had been being used for target practice… the cannon that was probably still loaded…

We scattered as the loud BOOM filled the air. I looked up from my spot on the ground to see the laundry building crumble to the ground. I noticed the terrified look on Coby’s face as he realized what had just happened.

\- - - - - 

 

Later that evening, I was making my way to my bunk to study and ran into Coby and Helmeppo outside the barracks.

“Hey Coby,” I said, ignoring the moron. “I’m glad you’re still with us,” I teased with a smile.

“Yeah,” he said flushing. “I thought for sure we were done for.”

“You sure you’re not hurt? That fall looked pretty bad,” I asked him.

“Nah, we’re okay,” he replied.

“Don’t just ignore me!” Helmeppo cut in angrily. I glanced over to him, and saying nothing returned to speaking with Coby. The guy may have had no choice but to join the marines, but that didn’t mean I had to treat him with respect.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” I said to Coby, patting his shoulder. “I’ll see you around.”

“Oh, Reese, hold on,” he said, patting his pockets until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a scrap of paper and held it out to me. “Rika gave me this from the newspaper, look!”

I smiled and angled my head to get a better view. “Is that… Luffy?”

Coby laughed and nodded, “yeah, isn’t it great? The paper said he was causing a fuss in Loguetown,” he said. Then, when I didn’t respond he added, “that’s the town closest to the Grand Line, Reese. He’s almost made it!”

I grinned as I understood. “Wow, that’s so cool!” I remarked. 

“Chore boys!” We both turned and Coby saluted the officer who called. I didn’t get a chance to speak to Coby again, so I continued on to my bunk.

 

\- - - - - 

 

“Cooper!” I saluted as my name was called, and joined the four other recruits that were sitting in the next room. The Lieutenant followed after me and closed the door.

“Recruits,” he began, “you have been selected to assist in the transfer of Captain Morgan to Marine Headquarters.”

We all looked at him in disbelief.

“You’ll have the honor of seeing Vice Admiral Garp who is coming to accept the prisoner and escort him to Marineford for his court martial.” He looked at us as he continued. “You, are the top five  
recruits and as such I expect nothing but the best from you.”

I held back my grin at his words, though inwardly I was beaming. I had gone from the worst to top five, and knew that the extra studying and training was paying off.

“You will report in one hour at the dock. You must be in full uniform.” He looked around at each of us, drilling the seriousness of the situation into each of us with just a look. “Dismissed,”he said, as he opened the door.

We stood and saluted, and proceeded back into the training room. One hour. That would give me just enough time to eat, bathe, and get to the docks. I picked up my pace and headed for the mess hall, ignoring those around me.

 

\- - - - - 

 

An hour later, almost every marine boarded our finest ship, all cleaned up and uniformed. Lieutenant Ripper had even brought Coby and Helmeppo aboard, and when I thought about it, I assumed he was trying to help motivate them by letting them see the vice admiral.

We sailed out to sea, each of us being sent to separate areas of the ship to clean and prepare for meeting the vice admiral. Lieutenant Ripper seemed overly worried, and each of us did what we could to ensure we gave a good impression.

“All hands on deck!”

The shout rang out, and as we rushed into our places, my heart was beating rapidly. This was a great opportunity, a chance to further my career if I made a good showing today. We stood at the railing, and I could hear Coby talking about the vice admiral, saying he was also known as “The Fist”. That was quite the title, and I wondered if he really fought with his fists, or if he had simply done something heroic with a fist.

I watched as the other marine ship drew near, the figurehead was a huge dog’s face complete with a large bone in its mouth. It looked kind of ridiculous, but I could see how it could be intimidating, it would be hard to mistake it as anything else.

It made much more sense as the ship pulled up to ours, and I caught a glimpse of Garp. He was wearing a helmet style hat that was a dog. The mouth was open, and inside, showed Garp’s face. If I were a pirate being hunted by the vice admiral, any sight of a dog would probably freak me out.

He wore a white suit, and a large jacket hanging over his shoulders. Lieutenant Ripper spoke to Garp, and I tried hard not to laugh when the vice admiral admitted to being tired due to a desire to set a record for the most doughnuts eaten in a single sitting. But I wasn’t able to stop the smile on my face as his head hung forward and he began snoring.

Morgan used the moment as a chance to escape, slicing Garp across the chest, grabbing Helmeppo and using him as a hostage and shield. Coby and Helmeppo both started screaming and the rest of us stood in shock, unwilling to sacrifice a fellow “marine” to recapture a man like Morgan.

Morgan was given the dinghy, and started to sail away with Helmeppo. Bogard, Garp’s right hand man, began giving coordinates to the man stationed at the cannon. As they were about to fire, Coby jumped up to stand in the way.

I stared at my friend, amazed that he had the guts to do such a thing. I could see him shaking, and his voice was cracking as he tried to convince them not to shoot. I couldn’t believe he was putting all of his dreams and his life in jeopardy in order to save someone that wouldn’t even admit to being a friend.

He defied orders, said he would capture Morgan, and turned and jumped in the water. And… I couldn’t believe it, but I decided that moment I was going to help him. 

Garp suddenly stood up, yawning. I took the opportunity to board his ship as all the marines were focused on Garp. I ran over to their dinghy and lowered it into the water. I grabbed the oars, and began rowing the boat towards Coby. As I rounded the ships, the marines finally saw me, and started calling for me to come back.

I knew I just destroyed all hope of reaching my goals, but I couldn’t let Coby do this alone. I could see he and Helmeppo grabbing onto Morgan, trying to fight him, but doing very little. Suddenly Morgan picked them up, and threw them overboard. Helmeppo yelled after him, swearing he would someday capture him. I grew an inkling of respect for him then.

I hollered at them to get in the boat, and they both turned around, surprised to see me. They clambered inside, soaked and shaking.

“Reese, why did you help us?” Coby asked. “We didn’t capture Morgan, and now you’ll get in trouble too.”

“Yeah, and where did this boat come from?” Helmeppo asked.

“Garp’s ship.” I replied, as I turned the boat around and headed back to the ship. 

“You stole this from _Garp’s ship?!”_ Helmeppo screeched, and Coby looked like he would pass out.

“How else was I going to help you?” I asked, still unsure of myself.

“Thank you Reese,” Coby said with a bow. He grabbed one of the oars and helped me row back.

We were helped onto the ship, and escorted back to where Garp stood. I saluted the vice admiral, and then noticed Coby and Helmeppo kneeling in front of him with their heads on the ground. I thought to join them, but couldn’t as I really didn’t feel bad for what I had done. If they were going to kick me out, so be it.

The Lieutenant took responsibility for us, as he was our superior, and assured Garp that we would be removed from the marines permanently. My head hung, as I realized the end of my ambition. Garp agreed, stating that no one would be willing to take us, but that we would also be unfit to be among the civilians. I looked up to glare at him at that. He said he had no choice but to take us with him, to marine headquarters.

Lieutenant Ripper and the rest of the men looked shocked, but no more than the three of us did. The vice admiral simply laughed and commented about what an interesting day it had turned out to be. I couldn’t agree more.

\- - - - - 

 

Luffy stretched his head over to look closer as he ate. He was sure he had seen something in the paper Nami was looking at. 

“MMM!!”

Nami jumped slightly from being startled. “What is it?” she asked, as Luffy swallowed his mouth full of food.

“There! Zoro, come look!”

“What?” she asked again. “It’s just a picture of some marines.”

“But not just any marines!”

Zoro leaned over to glance at the paper. “Hey, that’s Reese,” he said. 

“Yeah!” Luffy agreed. “And Coby!”

“Aren’t they the ones you were telling us about the other day?” Nami asked. Sanji wandered over to look at the picture, and to be closer to Nami of course.

“Whoa, she’s cute!” Sanji said, hearts in his eyes. “Why didn’t you invite her to join the crew?” 

“I did,” Luffy said. “But she was set on being a marine, just like Coby.” He turned back to Nami. “So why’d they take their picture?”

“Hmm, it says Vice admiral Garp returns with his crew to Marineford. The picture shown was taken just after the crew crossed reverse mountain. Garp was relaxed and in control, though a few of his newest recruits didn’t fare as well.”

“Whoa! So Coby and Reese are in the Grand Line too?”

“It said at Marine Headquarters,” Zoro added. “Not bad.”

“Yeah!” Luffy agreed. “They’re going to be mayors some day.”

“Officers,” Zoro corrected. “Idiot.”

 

\- - - - - 

 

Sailing with the vice admiral was an eye opener. His men were so far above any of the marines I had met previously, which made sense, since they came from headquarters. I learned much more about the structure of the marines and realized I had a long way to go. But, I was closer than I had been.

Upon reaching Marineford, I was placed with the others as a chore boy. I could hardly complain, though it felt like a step backwards. There were so many chores, we were kept busy all day long. We stopped frequently to rest, as the boys had a hard time keeping up. We were all in awe of the training the marines here were doing, it made the training when I recruited look like a game.

We were pulled to a stop yet again by Helmeppo, and I pushed the two of them in between two buildings in order to keep them hidden. I used the time to work on my push-ups, as we had just passed the recruits being ordered to do two hundred. I knew I couldn’t do that many, so I needed to start building my strength up now.

I was brought back to the present as I heard yelling, and then Coby and Helmeppo came running out and ran right past me. I stood up, and saw the vice admiral standing in between the buildings. I gave him a quick salute, and followed after them.

After a few hours, Coby insisted that we take full shares of the chores, and since I usually finished first, I had some time to sneak in some extra push ups or crunches. Every time Garp came to check on us, he’d give the boys a few punches to motivate them. I started to worry, as he not only didn’t hit me, but didn’t talk to me either.

I was lost in thought the rest of that day, wondering what the vice admiral was looking for from me. _Did he bring me along just because of the boys? No, he didn’t seem the sentimental type with kids he had just met. Did he bring us here just to do chores? No way, there were plenty of recruits here that could do them. So what was he looking for then? Whatever it was, I wasn’t showing it._ I was tired, but once we were dismissed, I headed to my room and changed into some plain clothes. I headed out to the field and started on one end. First was the bar, so I did as many sets of pull ups that I could. Once that was done, I went to crunches, then push ups. I was panting heavily by that time, and felt like my limbs were noodles.

I decided to end with running a few miles, and started on the track. Much to my surprise, Helmeppo and Coby joined me as I started my second mile. We didn’t talk, but I could see the determination in their eyes, which I hadn’t seen before. It seemed we were all on the same page.

The following day as we were weeding the garden, we heard several officers speaking about Luffy. Coby and I smiled to each other, until we heard them talking about executing him. Our smiles turned to looks of anger, and I was much less careful about what I was yanking out of the ground.

Luffy definitely wasn’t like other pirates, shouldn’t he be given something for saving the town from Captain Morgan? No, it just made his bounty higher. Life could be so unfair.

“Vice Admiral Garp, Sir!” I turned and hastily rose to my feet to join in Helpmeppo’s and Coby’s salute. Garp was smiling at us, which usually meant pain for the boys. 

“You’ll come with me now,” he said, and the three of us gulped.

\- - - - - 

 

I wasn’t expecting Garp to invite us to fight with him, but I was more than happy to accept. Even together, we were literally no match for him. Each time we came in, he’d fling me away, then punch Coby and Helmeppo until they could hardly scrape themselves off the ground.

As they were getting back up, Garp started to walk away. I was livid, and the part of me that kept my mouth shut had given up. I was being treated differently, and I wanted to know why.

“Ahem,” I coughed as I came up behind Garp, causing him to turn around. He waited for me to make my move, but I just crossed my arms and glared.

“What’s going on here, _Sir?”_ I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I could hear Coby gasp, but I was too far in now. “Why won’t you fight me like you do them?” I demanded as I pointed back at the boys.

“I don't need to explain myself to you, and besides, I don’t punch girls.”

“Listen up, Gramps!” I yelled. “I’m not a girl, I’m a MARINE!” I stood, shocked and panting as Garp burst into laughter so hard he started crying.

Suddenly he was serious, explaining how we would now have nightly special training sessions. How he had tested us, to be sure we had the will and determination to succeed with him. He also told us he would keep an eye on the “Luffy Situation” but that we needed to keep that between us.

Coby and Helmeppo straightened into a salute, and Garp turned to walk away. He glanced back at me, a questioning look on his face. I looked at him for a moment, trying to determine the catch, but finding none, I also saluted. Garp continued on his way, laughing harder. 

I wasn’t sure what had happened, but apparently we showed him something worthwhile. I smiled as I thought of calling him Gramps. He really did remind me of my Gramps, all tough on the outside, and super soft on the inside. I wondered if Garp was the same.

After that, Bogard and Garp met with us each night, Bogard training and Garp observing. Anytime Garp would comment on my form or lack thereof, I’d yell out, “Stuff it Gramps!” or “come show me how it’s done then!” He would just grin, and go back to observing.

Helmeppo and Coby were appalled that I would speak to the vice admiral in such a manner, but I actually felt much better about my situation. I may not get hit like the boys did, but Garp wasn’t going to pull any punches with my training either, and I knew he would help me reach my goals.


	17. Ashley

After Luffy and Sanji left, I spent time with Chef Zeff. He told me stories of pirates he had come across, and taught me how to make a spicy seafood pasta dish, which was excellent!

I shared with him my struggles with Mihawk. He never agreed or disagreed, but he asked questions that made me think, and I tried to see things from Mihawk’s perspective. Zeff finished with the question, “Just because you learn how to attack, does that mean you must?”

That night, I slept fitfully. My mind couldn’t let go of the questions, and I turned them over, again and again.

Mihawk returned for me the next morning. He was impatient to leave, but I made sure to say goodbye to everyone, and took a few minutes to thank Zeff for his insight and the help he gave me. He gifted me with recipes, and also gave me a number which he said was for a transponder snail, so I could get a hold of them and keep them updated every now and then. I couldn’t help but give him a hug, then I ran for the boat and Mihawk.

I stopped short and climbed slowly into the boat. “Master,” I said calmly.

“Ashley,” he replied as the boat began to move. 

“Are we headed home?” I asked. Funny, that I already called Gloom Island that, though I didn’t miss much there. He didn’t answer, and I didn’t press the issue. We sailed for some time, seemingly without a destination in mind.

As we sailed, I was simply enjoying the water and the sun. Mihawk gave short lessons throughout the days, from navigation to instructions on the whims of the Grand Line. While I enjoyed the lessons, there was something strange about them. It was as if he was giving me instructions for the future. 

We stopped for supplies at an island, and I followed Mihawk around as he made purchases. I was curious as to what Mihawk’s plan was, as he had always been so straightforward. It seemed like we were wasting time, which was very out of character.

I stopped as I spotted the wanted posters hanging on a wall as we walked by. 

“Master Mihawk,” I said. As he looked back at me, I pointed to the poster. He stepped back and we both stared at the poster with Luffy’s grinning face.

“Whoa, thirty million dollars?” I asked. Mihawk turned to me, looking at me as if I were stupid.

“Berri,” he said. “Thirty million beri.”

“Right,” I replied, committing that to memory. How many beri equaled a dollar? I had no idea, and since I didn’t have any money anyway… it didn’t matter for now.

Mihawk took down the poster and rolling it up, handed it to me. He turned and strode away, and I rushed to catch up.

\- - - - - 

I was confused, completely. Once he saw Luffy’s wanted poster, Mihawk was suddenly in a hurry. We immediately set sail, and we most definitely had a destination, though I didn’t know what it was. 

After a few days we came upon an island.

It was a smaller island, with a huge mountain taking up the middle of it, and trees all around the base. We pulled up to the shore, and I hurried to secure the boat and catch back up to Mihawk, since he had disembarked and walked straight inland.

We came upon some men sitting and drinking, who jumped up when they saw us.

“Wh- what are you doing here Hawk Eye?” 

“I’m here to see your leader, our business is with him. Move aside.” He didn’t wait for them to obey, just pushed past them, though the man rushed ahead of us leading us further inland. Along the way, men jumped aside, looking terrified of Mihawk, and I grew concerned. Mihawk never did tell me where we were going, and the men we passed looked like pirates.

I took a chance and asked tentatively, “Master? Who are we here to see?”

“A carefree man apparently, as they are camping on an island. Stay behind me.”

I looked ahead to see the man who was leading us, wasn’t really leading us. He had gotten further and further ahead of us. I guess he was running to warn his captain that Mihawk was here, but… why? Would his captain run, or try to hide?

We came into a clearing where several men sat under a huge red and white striped umbrella. Remembering Mihawk’s words about camping, I thought, _“more like glamping”_ and started giggling. 

Trying to be quiet, I accidentally let out a snort and had all the men turn to look at us. Mihawk turned his head to scowl at me, and I gave my best “it was an accident” look followed by my “I’m a failure” hang of my head. I had perfected both of these in my time with Mihawk, and it usually worked on small infractions.

“Hey there Hawk Eye,” a man in the middle said nonchalantly, and everyone else acted as though nothing was happening. They didn’t even look up! I peeked around Mihawk to get a better look at everyone. “To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?”

These men looked like pirates, though compared with the Krieg pirates they looked like gentlemen. In fact, the guy speaking was downright pleasant. And I was absolutely loving his hair. People back home paid huge amounts of money to get that shade of red, and most never could.

 _Just another example of how life was unfair,_ I thought. _Guys always got amazing hair, or eyes, or even eyelashes, and didn’t appreciate it at all._

“That’s quite the scowl. Looks like she’s learning from you all right.”

I quickly hid back behind Mihawk, and biting down on my lip looked up at Mihawk warily. He was glaring at me hard core now, and no look or head hanging would help me.

“Did you come to settle the score with me?” the red haired pirate asked.

“As if I would fight a one-armed man,” Mihawk replied testily. That peaked my interest, and I peeked back around. It was hard to tell, what with the cape he wore, but since I knew what to look for, I could tell that his left arm was missing, just under the shoulder.

I looked back up to his face, and found my eyes meeting his. He gave me a smile and a wink, and I gave him a small smile in return.

“Aren’t you going to introduce your friend?” he asked. Mihawk sighed and rolled his eyes, no doubt irritated at the man.

“This is my pupil, Ashley.” He glanced down at me. “That is Red Hair.”

“Shanks,” he corrected. “I’d come shake your hand, but I’m not feeling very well.” I looked around, as everything about the pirates was suddenly making sense. There were tell tale signs of the party the pirates had last night, and the umbrella gave them a cool, dark place to sleep it off.

“I ran into a pirate that reminded me of stories you used to tell,” Mihawk said to Shanks, which caught his attention. “A strange boy, from a small village?” He gave me a nod, and said, “show him.”

I pulled out the wanted poster, and held it up for Shanks. I could see several of his men perk up and smile widely.

“Luffy,” I heard Shanks say.

Shanks looked at Mihawk, his expression unreadable. “In that case, we can’t just let you leave.” His men ushered both of us over to the log where Shanks was sitting, and put mugs on a stump in front of us. Shanks began laughing as he poured ale into our mugs.

“Tell me everything!” he exclaimed. “And drink up! We’re celebrating!”

I glanced over to my right in question.

“No.” Hawkeye said without even looking at me. I woefully handed my mug to the man who had sat on my left. He was a tall man with graying hair, who was quietly smoking.

“Aren’t you hung over?” Mihawk asked Shanks, looking at his cup in disdain.

“What? No… well not anymore! Come on men, drink up!”

“But boss,” a short, round man said. “Weren’t you feeling bad because you drank too much yesterday?”

“No way!” Shanks replied. “Besides, we’re celebrating! I can’t NOT drink!”

\- - - - - 

The next morning, I asked Mihawk if I could skip my morning run, after all we were vacationing… sort of, and the humandrills weren’t here to chase me. He told me to double my normal hour.

I just ran around the island, and it was actually nice to have new scenery. I enjoyed running just to run, rather than running so I wouldn’t die. After circling the island twice, I returned to camp and was offered breakfast. I looked for permission, and Mihawk must have wanted something tastier than my normal fare, because he nodded.

I offered to help clean up, but they just laughed and shooed me away.

“Cap’n Shanks would have words with us if we let a guest clean up, not to mention a pretty girl” one of them added with a wink.

I wandered back to the main area of camp, seeing that most of the men were again sleeping off their party from the previous day. I walked over to sit by Benn Beckman, having found out yesterday that the man I had sat next to was the first mate of the crew.

He looked up as I walked over.

“Not much happening,” he commented.

“I’m used to it,” I replied. “though there are less chores, which is great!” I winced and hunched over. _“Did he hear me?”_ I whispered, looking over my shoulder at Mihawk.

Benn laughed, and stood up. “Come on then. How about we have a spar?"

“What, really?” I asked. According to Shanks’ introductions last night, Benn was the best fighter of the entire crew. Even in sparring, I could learn something to give me an advantage against Mihawk.

“Sure, we pirates always like to have fun. My fun is just different from most of the others,” he told me with a wink.

I asked Benn if he wanted some time to stretch, and he simply laughed. He proved very quickly that I didn’t stand a chance against him, but even in failure, I knew I was learning. I kept getting back up each time he knocked me down.

After the best part of an hour, Shanks walked into the clearing we were using and I wondered how he found us. We had gone far from the camp in an attempt to not have an audience. Shanks observed for only a minute or so before walking up to me.

“Ashley, you’ll never get the upper hand if you can’t read your opponent,” he said, and I sagged, dejected. 

“That’s something I can’t seem to do,” I said quietly. “No matter how hard I try, or how long I work.”

Benn came over, lighting a cigarette. “It’s not difficult, once you have the basics,” he said. “You must take what you know into the entire fight, not just what _you_ are going to do.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” I admitted.

“That last move, the roll into a sweep of legs, how could it be countered?” I thought about it for a moment. “Once you have that, you can see which counter will be used based on the way your opponent moves.” 

“That’s a lot of thinking in a small amount of time,” I complained. “There is usually only a split second to make a decision.”

“True,” Shanks agreed with a laugh. “That’s where the practice comes in. It needs to be muscle memory, and once that happens, your speed will also increase.”

“But,” Benn added. “there can also be no hesitation. You must give your all, or you will fail.”

The two men looked at me, as I hung my head. It always came back to this. “I suppose it’s crazy, but… I don’t want to fight others. I know I need to learn to fight, so I can leave and find my sisters, but…” I trailed off. I was almost ready to scream or cry, I was so frustrated. Why did my dream have to be so unattainable?

“Ashley.”

I looked up into Benn’s face. He was looking at me with compassion, and it was almost my undoing.

“How often do you think that I have to fight?”

I glanced at Shanks, and he just shrugged. “I’m not sure. I guess, whenever you run into other pirates? Like Mihawk?”

Now they both laughed, and I felt my face heat in embarrassment.

“No,” Benn said after a moment. “Shanks prefers partying to fighting, and with our reputation, most pirates run away rather than face us,” I looked at Shanks for confirmation, and he gave me an innocent smile. “Really, these days I don’t have to fight at all. But Ashley… I am still _able_ to.” 

“It may seem strange,” Shanks added. “To fight so that one day you won’t need to.”

“No, actually, that makes sense.”

“Of course, it’s different for Hawk Eye,” Shanks said.

“Right,” I nodded. “Being the best means he’ll forever have people challenging him for the title.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, then gave me a grin and put his arm around me. “Now Ashley, let me tell you a few things about fighting with Benn…” He said loudly, pretending to whisper.

I grinned back. “My friends call me Ash.”

 

\- - - - -

Mihawk stepped quietly into the clearing, to let Red Hair know he was leaving. They had talked about it at length, and Red Hair assured him that Ashley would be fine in their care. He didn’t like that that had grated on his nerves. 

What he saw however, made him pause. Ashley was sparring with Beckman, and she was attacking. He could tell that Beckman was holding back, and quite a lot at that, but what amazed him was that she was pressing her advantage. He smirked as he saw her use a complicated move that he had just taught her before they left Kuraigana Island.

“Not bad, really.” He glanced over at Shanks, as he appeared at his right side. He could see the smirk on his face, and did not appreciate it. “Yeah, that Ash is a quick learner. I’m sure we’ll make her into quite the pirate before we’re done.”

“I know what you are doing Red Hair,” Mihawk replied.

“Me?” Shanks was the picture of innocence, and Mihawk rolled his eyes.

Mihawk watched as Ashley noticed them, and took a hit she could have avoided. “Distractions Ashley!” he snapped out, seeing her wince.

The fight came to a halt a few minutes later as Beckman laid her out on her back. She rose up and gave him a bow, and a handshake, then came over to the two spectators.

“Master,” she said with a small nod of her head, and Mihawk returned the gesture.

“Ash, that was much better! Good work!” 

“Thank you, Captain Shanks.”

Mihawk felt his ire rising, so he cut them off. “Ashley, I’m preparing to leave. Red Hair has offered you a place with them, to continue your training.” He meant to stop there, but somehow, he kept speaking. “Otherwise, say your goodbyes. You have five minutes,”

Ashley looked at him in surprise, glancing at both Shanks and Beckman, before reaching out to Red Hair and giving him a hug. 

“Thank you so much Captain Shanks! I’m sorry we can’t stay longer!” Mihawk froze as he had turned to leave, her words stopping him in his tracks. “Goodbye Benn, thank you for all your help!” 

She hurried past them, running to gather her things and make her farewells. Mihawk stared with a frown, uncertain of what was happening. He’d been certain that she would want to stay.

“What’d I tell you Benn? Knew he couldn’t let her go.” Mihawk glared at them, then walked away as they both began to laugh.


	18. Kiana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously...
> 
> Kiana had been working with Dalton in guard duty shifts around the island. On one such day, they stopped for lunch at their usual spot, finding a stranger dressed in black. After talking to him, Kia is shocked to find out that it is Ace! Instead of acting flirty or fun, she embarrasses herself by making strange noises, and blushing. Ace leaves his message to Luffy with her and Dalton, but that's not all. He also leaves her with the check.

I was eating breakfast when the alarm sounded, three long blasts on a horn. I hurriedly put on extra layers, grabbed my bag and rushed outside. I headed over to Dalton’s as that was our meeting place, and he was already there being briefed by Don, one of the villagers that was on guard duty.

“-but I don’t recognize their jolly roger.”

More people began to gather, and finally Dalton turned to us. “Everyone! There is a pirate ship heading our way!” He stopped as everyone around began to mutter or yell out angrily. “All those that can, grab a weapon and come with me! We will ensure pirates cannot come into our country again.”

Everyone moved, running to get weapons or additional clothes for the weather. Dalton had refused to give me my own weapon until his training with me was completed, so when I went to ask for a rifle, Dalton handed me a hammer. I’m sure the look I gave him portrayed my displeasure, but he ignored it.

Minutes later, we trudged out into the snow, heading toward the river’s end. As we neared the place, Dalton sent half our number to our left, so that we could surround the ship. We spread out, and together headed forward as quietly as we could. 

I could see the sails, and the Straw Hat’s jolly roger, and felt a thrill run through me. We snuck in, and the Going Merry came completely into view. I could see the crew members on the deck speaking to each other, and I knew my eyes were lighting up in awe.

“YOU CAN GO NO FURTHER, PIRATES!!” Dalton suddenly yelled from beside me. “Leave immediately! You are not welcome.”

“This is how pirates are normally greeted Luffy, not like on Whiskey Peak,” I heard someone say. If I had to guess, I would say it had been Zoro, but I wasn’t sure.

“We have someone who is sick! Please, we need a doctor!” Vivi called out to us.

“Yeah, right.” Several villagers began yelling back or muttering, and one man said, “like we’d fall for that again!” which caused several men to look embarrassed, and made me giggle. Dalton gave me a glare, which stopped the giggling, but I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I looked back at the Straw Hats and saw Luffy staring at me curiously.

Gerald, who was standing across the river from me, aimed his pistol and yelled, “Leave or we’ll shoot!”

“Just great, they already hate us and we haven’t even said hello,” Sanji said. Gerald glared, and fired, shooting the deck inches from Sanji’s feet. I instinctively stepped forward baring my hammer, though what I would do, I wasn’t sure. Dalton held his arm in front of me, to keep me from moving.

Sanji threatened the man, and crouched to attack. Gerald shot again just as Vivi ran over to hold Sanji back. Vivi fell and the crew yelled out her name in horror.

I don’t remember throwing it, but my hammer flew through the air and hit Gerald, knocking him out. Several villagers turned their glares to me, and Dalton ordered the pirates not to move.

“They didn’t even do anything!” I hissed at him. He stopped, surprised, as I had never been angry with him before. He took a moment, and reassessed the situation. Vivi and then Luffy begged us for help.

“Follow me, I will take you to our town,” Dalton finally said, and turning to the men, “If you are on guard duty, please return. If not, you are free to head back. I’ll take responsibility for the pirates.”

“Responsibility for Kiana you mean,” someone nearby muttered. 

“Say that again…” I said lowly. I was full of adrenaline, and ready for a fight. I glared at each of them as they started back towards town. Most of the Straw Hat pirates followed as well. I waited until everyone was moving, then followed in the back. I knew I wasn’t doing anything to endear myself to the villagers, but they were quick to judge, and refused to look at the bigger picture. It made me so frustrated!

I could see Dalton speaking with several members of the pirate crew. I told myself not to refer to them by name, even in my head. It would be very easy to give myself away, and I wasn’t ready to try to explain anything. I continued to follow Dalton, as the villagers broke away and went about their business. 

“Dalton, I’m looking forward to the election in two days! Everyone I’ve spoken to says that they are going to vote for you!” John, one of the eldest villagers said in passing. 

Dalton froze, then panicking replied, “I’m sure that can’t be true, I’m just an ordinary citizen!” 

 

\- - - - - 

Once inside Dalton’s home, he sent me to build a fire, and helped get the sick woman situated on the bed. He continued to give information to the crew as I pulled off my jacket and scarf, and started to stack kindling and wood. I’d need to build a pretty big fire to warm the house up quickly.

“I’m Dalton, captain of the island’s security squad, and that’s Kiana,” I didn’t turn, merely held up a hand and waved to them behind me. 

“Will you tell us about the witch or whatever she is? We need to find her, Nami’s fever is getting worse!” Vivi stated.

“We have to find that witch NOW!” Sanji demanded.

“She is nearly 140, and quite eccentric. See the mountain, there in the middle? The tallest one? On the top, is a castle, and that is where Dr. Kureha lives.” Dalton sighed, then continued. “Every now and then she comes down, finds people to treat, then takes whatever she wants from them as payment. Oh, and she like pickled plums,” he added.

“She sounds really mean,” Usopp muttered.

“She sounds kinda like a pirate,” Luffy replied.

“How would an old woman get down a mountain like that?” Vivi asked incredulously.

“One rumor is she rides a sleigh through the night sky,” Dalton said. “Others say they see her with a strange creature- “

“Dalton…” I said in warning, rolling my eyes. Neither of us said anything further as Luffy walked over to the bed and began lightly slapping Nami’s cheek. Once she opened her eyes, he tells her that they’ve got to climb a mountain to get her to the doctor. His companions all begin to argue with him, but I don’t hear what they are saying. I’m too busy beating myself up. I had been trying for the past week to get the ropeway back up and running, even enlisting people from other towns, and we had made good progress over near the East side of the mountain, but it wasn’t ready.

I wanted to prevent Luffy having to scale the mountain, but I had failed.

I tune back in as Sanji says “I’m going too!”

Dalton began to ask them to go to the East side of the mountain, in order to avoid the Lapins, and began to explain the danger that they are. I headed to the kitchen and came back with a bag and a sheathed sword.

“They don’t have time for that!” I said loudly, interrupting Dalton, and handing the bag to Sanji, said, “here’s some dried meat, it should help you keep your energy up,” as they prepared to go. "And this," I said as I handed Luffy the sword, "should work to help hold her on your back." We all helped get her situated, sitting on the sword and Luffy held it in each hand, so he wouldn't have to hold her legs. 

“Hey, thanks!” Luffy said with a grin. “You’re the best!”

“And so cute too!” Sanji smiled at me, and I made a shoo-ing gesture with my hand. We escorted them outside and the two of them took off running, Sanji berating Luffy for jostling Nami on his back. 

Usopp and Vivi decline to return inside, so Dalton and I stayed with them, though I went back in to retrieve my jacket and scarf. As I came back outside, I could hear Dalton telling them about the Blackbeard Pirate’s attack on the island. I knew what was coming next, as it is the one thing that we cannot agree on. Dalton and I argued continuously about it, both of us unable to change the others’ view, so we finally agreed to disagree. 

“There was only five of them, but they destroyed the entire country,” Dalton was saying. “What’s more, some, like Kiana, believed it was good for the country.”

I glared at Dalton’s back, then turned and strode away. I knew we were going to take Usopp and Vivi to find Kureha soon, so I went to get the sleigh prepared. As I was walking away, I heard Usopp say, “That’s crazy! How could she think that?”

Dalton was a good guy, and I knew he would try to explain why I felt the way I did. It was simply really. If the pirates hadn’t come, Wapol would never have left. True, bad things happened, but having Wapol gone was the best thing to happen to Drum Kingdom in a long time.

Once Dalton’s rams were hitched to the sleigh, I walked back to the small group. I could hear Wapol’s name as I came near, and I had a hard time staying annoyed at Dalton.

“But, when we ran into him yesterday, he said he was a pirate! Not a king!” Vivi exclaimed.

I butted in. “He’s only pretending to be a pirate while he tries to find his way back here, to reclaim his throne, “ I said disgusted.

“Kiana, you don’t know that for sure,” Dalton replied calmly. “Wait, yesterday?” He asked Vivi, alarmed.

“Oh, I get it. So he and those men were kicked off the island because they were no match for the pirates?” Usopp asked.

“No.” Dalton said flatly. I could see he was angry, so I spoke instead.

“As soon as he saw how powerful the pirates were, he grabbed all his men, and all the doctors and ran away. He left all his people to the mercy of the pirates.”

Vivi was also fuming. “What kind of king could do that?!” she raged.

“The kind that is NOT welcome back.” 

“The people have come together, to build a new country,” Dalton said.

“So say whatever you want about me,” I said with attitude towards the men. “But something good came from those pirates attacking the island. The country cannot afford for Wapol to come back now.”

Usopp looked at Dalton and I and asked, “Who are you guys?”

“What do you mean?” Dalton asked as we looked at each other.

“Well, Dalton, you don’t speak like any old citizen, you speak as someone who was military. And Kiana, well… you act as if you don’t belong here.” I was taken aback, and he explained. “You say this island or the people, not my island or our people.”

“You’re right,” Dalton said with resignation. “Kiana is not originally from Drum Kingdom, and I used to serve as captain of the guard, under King Wapol’s father, and also Wapol. During that time, Wapol created many new laws, exiling all but twenty of the doctors from the island. These twenty MDs were to serve only him, and the people in need of medical care had to beg the king and hope that he would show mercy on them.”

“That’s not a king, that’s a TYRANT!” Vivi yelled.

 

\- - - - - 

 

“They say Dr. Kureha is headed to Gyasta,” Dalton said. “Ice skating is popular there.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Usopp growled.

“Dalton!”

We looked over at the doorway and Don, from guard patrol limped in the door, covered in blood. 

“Please, help us! They killed everyone!”

“Who Don?” Dalton asked, holding the man to keep him from falling. He lowered him gently to the floor. “Who is they?”

“It was… Wapol… and his men,” Don said before going limp.

Dalton paused for only a moment, then sprang up and ran out the door. I jumped up to follow him, but was stopped by Usopp grabbing my arm.

“Let go, I have to help!” I said, squirming to get away. People gathered around, curious to know what was happening. I raised my voice, yelling as loud as I could. They needed to know, and they needed to get to Big Horn as quickly as possible to help Dalton.

“WAPOL HAS RETURNED! FOLLOW DALTON TO BIG HORN! PROTECT THE COUNTRY!! HURRY!!!”

Everyone scurried, rushing to grab their weapons, racing after Dalton’s trail, eager to help him. I turned back to Vivi and Usopp. “Come on. Get back in the sleigh.”

“What good will it do for us to go back to Big Horn?” Usopp questioned.

“We’re not,” I replied. “I’m taking you to Gyasta.”

 

\- - - - -

 

“We should have seen the sign by now.” The sleigh was moving quickly, and based on the position of the mountain, I knew we had gone too far. I pulled on the reigns, and the rams slowed to a stop. 

“Kiana? What’s the problem?” Usopp asked.

“Do you feel that?” 

Vivi gasped, “It’s an avalanche!!”

“Run!” I yelled at them, as I unhooked the harness so the rams could run free. I caught up quickly to the other two as we ran for our lives. I didn’t know much about surviving an avalanche, but I knew we needed to be able to breathe once we were covered. I peeled off my jacket, holding it over my head. Then I grabbed Vivi and pulled her to the side while calling Usopp’s name. He slid down beside us, and we pulled the jacket over our heads just as the snow hit us.


	19. Kiana Continued

I came to, realizing that I was out of the snow. I was freezing, but alive. I could hear Vivi yelling at Usopp. I made it up to my knees before the dizziness stopped me from standing upright. 

“Vivi, stop hitting him, he’ll be okay now.” 

“Oh, Kiana! I’m so glad you’re all right!”

After the dizziness passed, I looked around for my jacket and spotting the sleeve, unearthed it from the pile of snow it was buried in. I shook it out and put it on, though it was cold. I helped Vivi pull Usopp to his feet, and we checked him over.

“Thank you Kiana, truly,” Vivi said, and I gave her a smile.

“Just Kia.” I gave Usopp’s arm a tug and started walking. “Come on, we’d better get going.”

“Going?” she asked. “To where? And do we even know where we are?”

I smiled, but before I could answer Usopp interrupted. “Wow, that was intense! And, my face feels strange, like it’s swollen.”

Vivi and I shared a glance, me with a smile, and Vivi looking embarrassed. “Must be the cold, perhaps frostbite,” Vivi said. 

“Or maybe you landed face first?” I added. I shared a look with Vivi again and we smiled at each other. This would be our secret.

We continued to walk, with Vivi and Usopp following me, when a large snow bank exploded outward startling us. Standing there, was a man dressed only in black pants with green hair, obviously freezing.

“Zoro!” the three of us cried. He was so close, I couldn’t help but stare, and I missed the odd look that Vivi sent my way. Zoro looked almost as I pictured, though his hair was a little longer on top. I thought that all the strength training was an exaggeration, but it looked like every muscle he had was huge. He was most definitely cut, and I couldn’t help but ogle him a little, though I tried to do so discreetly.

“Oh, hey Vivi… and Usopp?”

“Yeah.”

His eyes turned hard as he turned to me. If I had to guess, I’d say they were gray, because at the moment they reminded me of steel. “And who’s this?” 

“This is Kia,” Vivi said. “She’s helping us.”

“Helping you wander around in the snow?” he said, unimpressed.

“You’re one to talk,” I said sarcastically, taking off my jacket and holding it out. “Here take this.”

“No thanks, I’m fine.”

“You’re half naked and shivering.”

“No I’m not.”

“Whatever.”

“Fine.”

I put my best fake smile on, and putting my jacket back on said, “I hope you freeze then.” Unexpectedly, he just looked at me, as if I was a riddle he was trying to solve. After a moment, I was unnerved and said, “What?”

“Nothing.”

I rolled my eyes. Now I knew why Sanji was fighting with Zoro all the time.

“Let’s get moving!” Vivi said cheerfully. 

We continued on towards Big Horn. It was the closest town to where we were, and I was feeling uneasy. I thought I had remembered all of the pertinent information about the Straw Hat’s visit to the island, but I was sorely mistaken. _How could I have forgotten about the avalanche?? What else have I forgotten?_

“Winter swimming?” I heard Usopp question Zoro. “You’re stupid aren’t you?”

“Just shut up and give me your coat,” Zoro growled.

“No way.”

“Your shoes?”

“Nope.”

“Not even one?”

“You did this to yourself. Besides, Kia offered you a coat, and you refused.”

“I can’t take her jacket, then what would she have?” I smiled to myself. Maybe Zoro wasn’t such a pain after all.

“Oh? But it’s okay to take mine?” Usopp questioned.

“Yeah, so how about it?”

“Not a chance.”

I interrupted their chat by turning and saying, “We made it!”

“Made it?” Vivi asked, “Is this Big Horn? Everything looks so different, the houses are practically covered.”

I noticed the crowd of villagers squared off against a group of men that were all wearing the same thing, like a uniform… “Dalton!” 

I started running for the people, Zoro keeping pace, with Vivi and Usopp trailing behind us. We reached the group, and I couldn’t speak, as I was out of breath. Zoro seemed hardly winded and asked, “What’s going on here?”

“Dalton is buried in the snow,” a man answered. 

“Yeah, and we can’t get to him because those guards are blocking us” another added.

“What?!” I squeaked.

Zoro gave me that same look again, and I glared at him in return.

“If you want him so badly,” the guard in front mocked us. “You can always come and fight us all, ha ha!”

“You bet I will!” I strode forward, grabbing someone’s rifle as I went. I headed straight for the guard in the front. Before I could reach him, Zoro stopped me.

He muttered, “I got this,” and ran straight for the mocking guard punching him in the face, knocking him out. He wasted no time, and everyone simply stared as he stripped the man of everything but his pants and hat. “Ah! So warm!”

I couldn’t help it, I cracked up. I stood there laughing as the remaining guards attacked Zoro, and he quickly defeated them, then berated them for not being enough of a challenge. The villagers went into motion, running forward to go look for Dalton. I joined them as well, saying “Thank you” to Zoro as I passed him.

It didn’t take long with all of us looking, but Dalton was in really bad shape. He had been shot with arrows, and buried this whole time in snow. His pulse was very weak, and I wasn’t sure what to do. I stopped anyone from pulling out the arrows, as I had heard that was wrong and could cause the person to bleed out.

A group of men dressed in lab coats approached and offered to help him. Several people including Usopp refused, as we couldn’t trust them, but I agreed. We had no better option, and Dalton would die if we didn’t accept. I could see the anger on a few faces, but ignored it. All I cared about was making sure another friend didn’t die.

* * * * * *

Vivi sat with me as we waited, trying to console me, but I just sat, unresponsive, watching the doctors scurry around. I tried to think, tried to remember what was coming. I originally felt like I had some sort of gift, knowing how the story would go, but I was forgetting too many things. I could have prevented this, ALL of it. Every option that came into my head was looking better than this. 

Vivi suddenly grabbed my hand, and gave it a squeeze. “This isn’t your fault Kia,” she said quietly. I hung my head, I couldn’t even look at her. “Sometimes, even when you do your very best, bad things happen. But that doesn’t mean that you stop trying.”

“And if you don’t do your best?” I asked, silently berating myself.

“The men told me that Dalton stepped in front of the arrows, they weren’t aimed for him, but for the villagers.” She paused as I took that in. “Even if you had been here, could you have stopped him?”

I sat quietly, thinking. Even if he had known of the outcome, Dalton probably would still have stepped in front of the villagers. He was that type of person, wanting to help, wanting to protect.

“Thanks Vivi.”

* * * * * *

No matter who tried, Dalton could not be convinced to remain in bed. He refused to rest until Wapol was driven from the land, and the people were safe again. Usopp was moved by his determination, and offered to carry him up the mountain, and Zoro finally stepped in to help. 

I stepped up to Usopp, and whispered that since it was his idea, I was still giving him hero points for it, even if Zoro was the one carrying it out- literally. He grinned, and jumped into a speech about Captain Usopp always having heroic ideas. 

Someone called out about using the rope ways instead of trying to climb the mountain, and I wondered if the people from Symdal had been able to get it connected. We followed the man to the outskirts of Gyasta, and I felt like the world’s biggest idiot. There was a single rope way connected between the top of the mountain, and Dr. Kureha’s original home. If I had used my brain, instead of relying on my so called knowledge, I would have realized she needed one to come down to treat others.

Everyone tried to board, and eventually I pushed a few people out and shut the door. They were angry, but we couldn’t handle the weight. As it was, it would take twice the normal time to reach the summit.

Vivi spent the time trying to keep Dalton calm, though it wasn’t working. He was working himself up into a fit of rage thinking of Wapol, and the way he and the people were treated by the ex-king. He groaned in pain, and was coughing up blood. This rage seemed different, calculated, and I had to ask.

“Dalton? What are you planning?”

He pulled out several sticks of dynamite and everyone gasped. “Everyone take cover when we get there. Once I am inside, there will be explosions.”

“No Dalton,” I said firmly. He looked up at me, but I wasn’t budging. “These people, they NEED YOU.” I knelt down in front of him, and looked him in the eye. “I won’t lose another friend, not when I can do something about it.” I reached down and pulled the dynamite away, and threw it out of the rope way car. 

Dalton looked stunned, then furious. “I would gladly give my life to end the reign of that evil man!” he yelled at me. I didn’t back down, because I knew I was right.

“And I would gladly give mine so that you don’t have to!!” I’m sure more than Dalton’s mouth hung open at that, but I didn’t look. The car arrived at the top, and I hopped over the side and ran up the stairs, hoping that Luffy had already beaten Wapol. Although, I was wanting to see his fighting in action, I knew it would be better all around if Wapol was already gone.

“Kia, wait!” Usopp yelled behind me, and I could hear pounding footsteps of people behind me. I pushed the metal door open, and looked around. Zoro and Usopp came up behind me, and Usopp came over and grabbed my arm. “You can’t just go running off like that!”

“RAAAHHH!!” 

We all looked up at the yell, and saw something falling towards us.

“Ah! Luffy!” Usopp screeched

“Luffy!?” Zoro grimaced. 

I stepped back, so that I wouldn’t be caught in the hit, but I didn’t make it out of the area of impact. I pushed up out of the snow, seeing Usopp laying motionless, Zoro yelling, and Luffy laughing. And… I stared. He looked normal enough, and I don’t know what I was expecting- his skin to look rubbery? Although standing outside in the snow in sandals and shorts wasn’t exactly what I would call normal.

Vivi walked out of the doorway, “Kia, you okay?”

“Yeah,” I answered. I looked back to the guys, finding Luffy looking at me. I smiled and he returned it. "Hi," I said. 

“You look familiar,” he said.

“You met her earlier in town, after we left the ship,” Vivi told him.

“No, that’s not it,” he replied.

I didn’t pay attention to what was going on around me, because I spotted Chopper, standing behind us “hiding” behind a tree. I couldn’t help but grin, and I gave a small wave with my hand in front of my chest so that the others couldn’t see.

Dalton fell to his knees behind me and I spun around. Before I could help him, he spoke to Chopper, thanking him for never giving up, for helping the kingdom. The men from the rope way car came running out of the stairwell, and noticed Chopper as well. They all started talking about what he could be, and Usopp screamed “Monster!”

Dalton and I kept the men from shooting, but Chopper ran off, and Luffy chased after him. I noticed Dr. Kureha standing by the castle door, and I walked over to talk to her about helping Dalton. It didn’t take long for Dr. Kureha to wrangle everyone inside, using intimidation and violence, of course. The men were terrified of her, and after seeing her kick Zoro in the head, so was I.

* * * * * *

I helped Dalton into bed, and we winced along with everyone else as we heard the doctor treating Sanji next door. His screams were horrific enough, but the cracking sounds from his back were worse. 

“Kiana.”

I looked at Dalton, reaching over to help him as he tried to sit up. “You’re going to be just fine Dalton, and so is this country,” I said with a smile.

“And you, Kiana?” 

My smile vanished. “I’ll be fine too.” He rolled his eyes at me, with an unbelieving look. He reached over and took my hand.

“You’ll never find them by staying here,” he said. I could feel the stares of everyone in the room on my back. “You don’t belong with us Kiana, you know that.” 

I knew what he meant by it, but it still hurt to hear. It wasn’t like I could just leave whenever I wanted to. “Yes, you have all made sure that I know it,” I said, as my eyes filled. Frustration tears were nearly impossible to hold back. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep out of your way from now on.” Standing, I quickly left the room, heading back outside.

“Dalton!” I heard several people scold him before I turned the corner and started running.

I wanted to be alone, so instead of going out the front, I headed up another floor, then picked a random room and walked out to the balcony. I heard a shout, and looked down. Usopp was building a snowman, Zoro was just sitting there, and Luffy was shouting for Chopper to stop hiding and join his crew.

I smiled through my tears. _I hadn’t messed anything up too badly, the story was still progressing, so I should be happy, right?_

I always thought the story was so moving, so emotional. Seeing it here before me was even more so. Chopper stepped out of the trees, and argued as to why he couldn’t go, why he didn’t belong with the pirates. I don’t know if I was crying for Chopper or myself, but the tears kept falling. I _didn’t_ belong, literally. I should be home, preparing for another year of college, not trying to learn to survive in a world gone mad. I wanted my home, my sisters… my life... back.

* * * * * *

 

“Shouldn’t we go in and say goodbye?” Luffy asked.

“No, we should give Chopper time to say goodbye to Doctorine, they’ve been together six years and it will probably be hard on them both,” Nami replied. “Besides, I’m not very happy with Dalton right now.”

“Why not?” Usopp asked.

“Dalton told Kia that she didn’t belong here, it was very strange,” Vivi replied. “She got upset and ran out. Actually, I thought we may find her out here.”

“He said that? I can’t believe it, they seemed like good friends,” Usopp said.

“Who’s Kia?” Luffy asked, confused.

“The girl you met earlier,” Usopp said. “With the brown hair? Helping Dalton?”

“Oh, right!”

“After everything she did… that’s crazy!” 

“What?”

Usopp began holding up his fingers as he recounted. “First she stopped the villagers from attacking the ship, she gave us that sword to hold Nami on Luffy’s back -”

“She gave me meat!” Luffy added.

“That too. Then she and Dalton took us around looking for the doctor. She helped us, even when she wanted to go fight Wapol.”

“She saved our lives when the avalanche hit,” Vivi said.

“Yeah,” Usopp sighed. “She helped save Dalton’s life too. And then, she took away the dynamite he wanted to use to blow up Wapol and the castle.”

Luffy made a “hmm” sound, and the others turned to look at him. “If she doesn’t belong here, then she’ll belong with us!”

* * * * * *

 

Chopper headed back to the treatment rooms, pausing when he heard the men moving around downstairs. _No matter, I gotta talk to Doctorine!_ He nearly bumped into a girl as he rushed up the stairs. She smiled at him, and he recognized her from before. She had smiled and waved to him, when everyone else was calling him a monster. And, she seemed and smelled familiar, so why couldn't he remember?

“Good luck Chopper” she said quietly. “I know you’ll be happy as a pirate.” With that, she continued on down the stairs without looking back.

Chopper was confused. _How did she know?_ He walked on to the treatment room. He stopped just outside as he heard his name, and listened.

“That may be true, but it doesn’t mean it’s right,” Doctorine said. “The girl obviously wants to go, you didn’t have to make her feel unwanted.”

“She was feeling guilty, that makes her stubborn. Believe me, I know. I had to give her a push. She’ll never make her dream come true if she stays here,” Dalton replied testily.

“She wants to become a doctor? She can do that here now.”

“That’s what she says,” Dalton sighed. “And that may truly be part of it. But really? She wants to find her family. She was left here, alone and lost. She wants to be found.”

Doctorine cackled. “So the girl wants to belong, and you tell her she doesn’t? Seems wrong.”

Chopper peeked inside the room. They must have been talking about the girl on the stairs.

“Kiana already belongs somewhere. She needs to leave to find where.”

“Kiana...” Chopper mused, glad he had her name now.

“Chopper? Is that you? Where have you been all day?”

Chopper took a deep breath. “Doctorine, I have something to tell you.”

* * * * * *

 

I walked out the door, rope tied around my hips, carrying the length of chain in my arms. It had been nice to be able to see Chopper again before he left. He really was adorable, it would have only been better if I could have hugged him. 

I could see the Straw Hats around, waiting for Chopper to come out. I ignored them, and hurried over to the rope way. I could hear Vivi calling my name, but I didn’t stop. I walked into the stairwell and walked down the stairs. I had to do this quickly, or else Luffy might be able to stop me. I had been thinking this through while up on the balcony, and this was the best plan I could devise.

I knew a couple of things. One, the rope way car needed to stay up here, for the people at the castle. Without Chopper, they would have no other way down. Two, once Chopper was ready to go, the sleigh with six people would come rushing down the rope way. 

With those two things in mind, my plan became… a zip line. I loved zip lines. True, most were either not that far off the ground, or had some sort of safety harness. This would be coming from the top of a mountain, at dusk, while it was snowing. The rope also worried me, as I didn’t want what I was using to slide down to break or burn due to the friction, so I had grabbed the chain.

I had already tied a makeshift harness around my hips with rope. So my plan was to loop the chain through the harness, throw both ends over the rope way, hold onto the ends of the chain for dear life and slide down. Then as I neared the bottom, letting go of the chain, and falling a short distance into soft snow.

Well, that was the plan anyway.


	20. Kiana Continued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously--
> 
> Kiana assisted in getting Dalton, Usopp, Zoro and Vivi up the mountain via the rope way car. She tried to stay out of the way as the story she knew progressed, angry that Dalton brought up how she didn't belong on Drum, and ended up alone as she watched Luffy convince Chopper to join the Straw hats. She wanted to get down the mountain in a hurry, and created a makeshift harness to zip line down the rope way.

I walked down the stairs, quickly but not rushing. I hoped there wasn’t anyone near the car, but I was a realist, my luck was not that good.

As I neared the car, I looped the chain through the rope of the harness, and pulled it through so I had an even amount on both sides. I took a deep breath and headed for the car.

Luffy and Usopp were both at the front of the car, which left the back- the part facing the open sky- clear. I headed straight for it, acknowledging Usopp as he spoke to me, but not paying attention. A nod should buy the time I needed.

I stepped up on the side of the car and threw the chain over the rope. Catching the chain ends, I rotated my wrists so that the chain wrapped over my jacket sleeves around my wrists, to give myself help in holding on. I looked back at the boys, and with a smirk, pushed off from the car.

I heard “- ME TOO!” and felt something grab on to me. The weight I was holding suddenly doubled, as Luffy had stretched his arms out, wrapping himself around me in a hug- like hold. I could hear him yelling in my ear, as I struggled to hold on. His excitement was catching however, because soon I was hollering along with him.

The end was coming much sooner than anticipated, which was good, because my hold was slipping. I screamed out, “CAN’T HOLD ON!!” giving all I could before the chain slipped from my hands.

As we fell, I noted that Luffy’s yell was pretty much the same excited yell, where as mine became a scream of panic. 

“GUM GUM…” 

That was all I heard, but I landed softly enough, and then Luffy let go, and I was flung back up and landed again over to the right. The snow wasn’t exactly soft, but it wasn’t much of a fall at that point anyway. The chain hitting my face was the worst part of the entire thing.

“THAT WAS AWESOME!!” 

I sat up, holding a gloved hand to my face, and then looking at it to make sure I wasn’t bleeding. I grinned as I saw there was no blood, and looking over at Luffy, I felt like my face would crack, my smile was so wide.

“Let’s do that again!” I yelled back to him, and he yelled out and punched upwards with a fist.

We turned at a sound, and saw the sleigh coming down the rope behind us. It landed in the snow ahead of us and was coming towards us, when we heard the booming of cannons. Everyone stopped as lights spot-lit the sky, and we watched as the snow became like cherry blossoms falling from their trees. It was beautiful, and Chopper started crying, then wailing in joy. I looked around, seeing the awe in everyone’s eyes at the pink cloud surrounding the top of the mountain.

Nobody said anything as Chopper cried, though they began to pack up the things from the sleigh. After a few minutes, Chopper was calm enough that they started to head to their ship.

I turned the other direction, and started heading back home.

“NO!”

I turned back, and like everyone else, stared at Chopper. He was glaring at me, which kind of hurt my feelings. _What had I done to get that look from him?_

“I’m sorry Luffy,” Chopper said while he stared at me. “I can’t leave Kiana here, all alone.”

The crew looked at me, and I flushed. “I’ll be fine Chopper.”

“No,” he said again, crossing his arms. “You helped me, and now I’m going to help you, even if it means waiting to go out to sea.”

“What?!” I gasped. “No way, you can’t do that!”

“Yeah, Chopper” Luffy agreed. “You already agreed to join the crew.”

I looked behind them to see the rest of the crew talking and arguing with each other. 

“Besides,” Luffy continued. “Kia is already part of the crew too!”

I could see Sanji cheering, smug grins, and a couple of face palms behind Luffy.

“WHAT?!”

“What?” he asked.

“How exactly am I part of your crew?” 

“I asked you, and you yelled out wahoo! and that means yes.”

“Wahoo?” I asked, then face palmed myself. “I yelled wahoo! because we were sliding down a rope from the top of a mountain. I didn’t hear you say anything.”

“Oh well,” Luffy shrugged. “Let’s go!”

“You’re coming, right Kiana?” Chopper asked me. _Future reference… reindeer can also do the pleading puppy eyes thing. Need to watch yourself._

I stood there, conflicted. _Did I want to join? Hell yes, more than anything! Should I join… that was harder to answer._

“I can’t be a pirate, I have to find my sisters,” I said.

“So we’ll help you,” Nami said over her shoulder. She and Vivi were already walking towards the ship.

“But…” 

“Just give it up Kia,” Zoro said, then he also turned and started walking. _Well, if Zoro says so…_

“I need to stop in Big Horn and get my things. It may take a bit, what with the avalanche and all.”

I had never thought before that moment that I would see a grin on Luffy’s face that looked smug, but when I did, I knew I was going to get him back for it. _Just exactly how smart is he?_

“Okay, but when we get to the ship, I need to treat that wound on your face,” Chopper said as we started walking. 

Sanji joined us on my other side and asked,“Are you alright Kia my dear? How did that happen?”

I turned and looked back at Luffy, with a smug grin of my own. “Oh it’s nothing. I mean it was a really heavy chain, and Luffy tried to catch it, so it’s not his fault…”

I watched and giggled as Sanji chased Luffy around, trying to kick him for failing to protect me. Chopper looked back and forth between me and them, observing, before finally giggling with me.

“I’m glad you’re coming Kiana.”

“Kia, Chopper.” I corrected him gently. “My friends, call me Kia.”

\- - - - - 

We all stood at the railing, looking over at the massive pink cloud surrounding the mountaintop that held the castle. It was lit brightly against the night sky, looking like a giant cherry tree that was raining down blossoms. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I could see how such a sight could make someone want to change his life.

“He did it, even though it took years to make it happen,” I said under my breath.

“Who?”

“Hmm?” I turned my head, seeing Vivi standing next to me. “Oh, Doctor Hiriluk, the one who created the cherry blossoms.”

“You knew him?” Chopper asked excitedly.

“Not personally, no. But Dalton really respected him.” I looked down to Chopper, and continued. “Doctor Hiriluk’s words before he died was the reason Dalton decided to speak against the king. Wapol had him beaten and thrown in prison. It wasn’t until the pirate attack that he was freed.”

“But… but that was years later!” Chopper cried.

“Yes,” I nodded. “And Dalton still felt it was not enough for what he had allowed Wapol to do to the country. Now though, with the election, Dalton will be able to do a lot of good, and hopefully get rid of that sense of guilt.”

“Election?” Vivi asked.

“Yes!” Chopper replied, still gazing out at the sky. “Doctorine told me about it. That all the people would cast a vote for who they wanted as a leader. She thought it was a good idea.”

“I wonder who came up with such a plan,” Vivi replied, then noticing my expression, stood shocked. “Kia? It was you?”

“Oh, um… yes. That is how we decide our leaders back home.”

“Where is home?” Nami asked, as she came to join us.

“Far away,” I answered vaguely, turning back to the cherry blossoms. 

“So how did you end up on Drum Island?” Nami questioned.

“I flew.” 

I could tell without even looking that Nami was giving me a sceptical look, though perhaps it was merely an exasperated one. But what else could I say? It had been the truth after all.

“Karoo! What happened?” We all turned to look as Vivi ran over to her giant duck, who looked like he had icicles all over. He started quacking, and gesturing wildly at Zoro. Chopper translated, letting us all know that Karoo had jumped into the river trying to save Zoro. After Zoro received a punch from Nami, everyone marveled at Chopper’s ability to speak to animals.

“That’s amazing Chopper!” Nami said to him. “It seems being a doctor is not your only skill!”

“What’s that about a doctor?” Luffy asked.

“Chopper is a doctor, he has been training under Dr. Kureha for the past six years.” I explained. The boys heaped praise on Chopper, since they were ignorant of this fact until now. Chopper blushed and did a little dance while shouting about not being happy.

“Honestly Luffy,” Nami said. “If you didn’t know he was a doctor, what did you think he was?” 

“A transforming reindeer monster.” Luffy said as if it was obvious.

“Um, Captain?”

“Yeah?” Luffy looked at me questioningly.

“I was wondering why you invited me?”

“You needed somewhere to go.”

I was taken aback. _So I was invited to join the most awesome pirate crew in the whole of anywhere, because they pitied me? No way._ I put my hands on my hips and glared at Luffy, though he was just grinning back at me. “I don’t need anyone feeling sorry for me, I can find my own way,” I stated harshly.

Several people tried to speak at once, but Luffy just shouted louder, “No!” which made us all look at him again.

“That’s not the only reason, why does there need to be only one?” he asked me. “You gave us meat, you helped us when we didn’t even ask, you acted as though you were already part of the crew, and you swung down a rope from the top of the mountain! Plus, you remind me of someone.” He put his hands on his hips, mocking my stance and asked, “Do I need a reason to invite someone to join my crew?”

“I guess not,” I said sheepishly. “But, I can’t stay forever! I’ve got something I have to do,” I added stubbornly. 

I was met by smirks all around. “We all do, Kia my dear,” Sanji explained. “But together, we can help each other, can’t we? When we left for the Grand Line, we all stated for each other, and the world, what we were searching for. Why don’t you and Chopper join us?”

“Yeah! Good idea Sanji!” Luffy shouted.

“But we need drinks!” Usopp added. 

“Good thinking, I was out,” Zoro stated, and I rolled my eyes at him.

Usopp and Nami handed Chopper, Vivi and I drinks. 

“I’m going to be a great warrior of the sea!” Usopp declared.

“I’m going to be, King of the pirates!” Luffy stated. _Wow, that’s a lot more powerful in person._ I think I was getting goose bumps.

“I’m going to draw a map of the entire world.”

“To find the All Blue.”

“I’m going to save my kingdom!” We all smiled at Vivi’s passionate declaration.

“To be the world’s greatest swordsman.”

“I’m going to cure any disease! And, to see the world, and to have adventures!” Chopper grinned, and Luffy returned it, then they turned to me.

Normally, I would think that saying something out loud would jinx it, but these people seemed to make the impossible possible. If they were anything like the stories I had read, amazing things would happen, perhaps simply because they declared it so.

“I’m going to find my sisters, and get back home!”

“To our new crew mates! Cheers!”

\- - - - - 

“This is the girl’s room. We can hang a hammock, or get a cot, whatever you prefer. We’ll have to buy some more beds once we finish the business in Alabasta.”

“After helping to save the country, I’m sure they’ll just be throwing things our way, beds included.” 

Nami laughed, “Not a bad idea, they’ll probably be willing to give one or two up at least, though the boys seem fine sleeping on the floor or a hammock, which I can’t understand.”

“I’ve been stranded on a winter island,” I commented with a grin. “Just find me sunshine, and I’ll sleep anywhere!”

After seeing the options, I ended up with a cot mattress on the floor. It wasn’t the greatest, but with several pillows, I slept like a baby. 

I was really glad that I had spent so much time back home on boats, as I felt like I could contribute to the crew. Dalton had taught me several things for self defense, but I was no fighter. I’d need to volunteer to stay with the ship for awhile, which would work well, because then I couldn’t interfere with the story.

Chopper had asked if I wanted to help him as his assistant, which I readily agreed to. We spent most of the first day talking, so he could see how much I knew. I was hesitant at first, but felt that if anything came up that seemed odd, he most likely wouldn’t share it with the others. So I rattled on about first aid and the CPR classes that I had taken. 

When Luffy called us to come and play, we were both ready for a break, so we ran over. I wouldn’t call myself competitive, but everyone likes to win, right? When Usopp suggested tag, I knew I would be at a huge disadvantage, so I suggested hide and seek instead, and they agreed.

“It says what?” I asked rapidly.

“What?” Luffy responded.

“Oh, that means, you’re it.”

“Good one, Kia!” Usopp said as he laughed. “I’ll use that in the future,”

“No fair!” Luffy complained.

“Get to counting Luffy!”

“Fine. 1… 2… 3… 4”

The three of us scattered, and I realized we hadn’t set any rules. But what was I thinking, this was Luffy after all. Any rules, he’s probably going to forget anyway.

I walked quickly through the kitchen, and heard Sanji call out. I didn’t answer as I had a thought brewing. There was once when I was younger, when playing hide and seek, that Ash had hidden so well that we all gave up on finding her. She eventually came out, but refused to tell us where she had been. I eventually got it out of her, and it was so brilliant. And now, I was going to win my first game with the Straw Hats. I headed straight for the boys closet.

The trick to this, was to use the items of someone bigger than you, that way, you are completely hidden. Sanji’s coat paired with Zoro’s boots would work well enough. I stepped into the boots, making sure they were facing the same direction as the others. Then I buttoned Sanji’s coat around me, leaving the hanger in and still hanging up. The jacket was long enough that my hands weren’t hanging out, and was bulky, so it didn’t appear to have someone inside it.

I giggled to myself, and settled in for a long wait. The only issue would be the heat, but I figured it wouldn’t take too long for them to give up.

It went even better than I thought. The closet doors were thrown open and closed at least four times, and I could hear someone say, “where is she?”. I knew I was going to win this! I had been getting tired of standing straight, and had strategically leaned against the back wall without showing myself. It was getting rather warm in the jacket, and I could feel my eyes getting sleepy.

I blinked several times, to keep from dozing. I felt something hard smack me, and I lifted my head, looking around. I was disoriented, but eventually figured out that I had fallen over. I untangled myself from the coat and boots, and walked out of the closet. I spun around and hung the coat back up, hearing my mom’s voice in my head telling me to clean up after myself.

It was oddly quiet. I thought that by now, they would all be yelling for me to just come out already, but I didn’t hear anything. Then, my stomach growled, and I realized they must have run to the kitchen when Sanji called dinner, and forgotten all about me! I stalked up the stairs, and pushed open the kitchen door. Everyone was seated around the table, but there was only a single plate. I wondered what was going on when everyone looked up at me and yelled, “KIA!”

Then I was swarmed by several people at once, giving me hugs, asking if I was alright, asking what had happened. Had I been kidnapped? How did I escape? Was I hungry?

“Whoa, whoa. What is going on?”

“Kia, you’ve been missing!” Chopper shouted, though he refused to let go of me, so I just picked him up, so that I could walk over to the table.

“Missing? Chopper, I was hiding. Luffy was supposed to look and find me.”

They all looked shocked at my words, and Usopp asked, “You were hiding all this time?” 

I bit my bottom lip. That didn’t sound good. “Um, yes?”

“Kia, that was like five hours ago!”

“What?? No way!” I could feel my cheeks get hotter than they already were. “I think I fell asleep.”

Luffy burst out laughing, and soon everyone joined in, though I think for some it was in relief.

Sanji brought over a cup of water. “Drink that, you look overheated. I’ll reheat your dinner,” he said as he took the plate of food from the table. I gulped down the water, realizing that I was still very hot.

“We looked all over the ship, yelling your name!” Usopp said dramatically. “Did you move around and change hiding spots?” he accused.

“No, that’s cheating.”

“Then where were you?” 

“In the boys closet.” Most everyone paused and looked at me again. Luffy with a grin, Usopp looked skeptical, and Zoro had one eyebrow up in question.

“I looked in there! Twice!”

I took pity on Usopp and explained. “I had my feet in Zoro’s snow boots, and I was hiding inside Sanji’s long winter coat,” I said. “Unless you looked carefully, you’d never notice.”

Luffy just laughed again. “No wonder you’re all red and sweaty!” he said cheerfully. “You spent hours in a big coat?”

“I guess I did, though it didn’t seem that long. I could feel my eyes getting sleepy, and when I opened them, I was on the ground. I had no idea I had been asleep.”

“That’s not hiding, that camouflaging!” Usopp said. 

“I guess that means I won, huh Captain?” I asked Luffy.

“Yep!” He said without contest. I grinned at all of them. 

“Sorry for the worry, I’ll just come out next time after ten minutes if I’m not found.”

“We know your secrets now, so you won’t win again!” Usopp declared.

I smiled in reply. “Don’t bet on it.”

Sanji placed my dinner in front of me, and I thanked him. I started to eat, and noticed that Luffy and Zoro were looking at me speculatively.

“What?” I asked Zoro.

“It’s strange, but you really remind me of a girl I met awhile back. She had dimples just like you, and her smile was like yours too.” He turned to Luffy. “What do you think Luffy? Doesn’t she remind you of Reese?”

My mouth dropped open and I grabbed Zoro’s hand, my dinner forgotten. “YOU KNOW REESE?” I screeched.

Zoro tugged on his hand, but I wasn’t letting go. “Yeah, do you?”

I just stared at him, unable to speak, for if I did I would cry. Well, the tears welled up anyway, so I tried, though it came out as a whisper. “She’s my sister.”

 

\- - - - - 

“I can’t believe it! My baby sister is with Garp? And Coby? That’s amazing! She said she was going to be a marine, and she’s really doing it.” 

Luffy chuckled. “See, you already found one of your sisters.”

“Probably could have been sooner if I had just said that we all have the same dimples,” I grinned at my captain, sitting by me at the table. I didn’t even care that he was sneakily stealing my food. “So if you meet anyone with dimples like mine, they are probably my sister.”

Sanji leaned against the counter, and lit his cigarette. “How many sisters do you have Kia?” I know his eye didn’t actually become a heart, but I could _almost_ see it.

“Three,” I replied. “Dru is the oldest, then me, then Ash, then Reese.”

“That’s it!!” Luffy shouted. “The girl at the restaurant! That’s who you reminded me of!”

I looked from Luffy to Sanji, who also wore a confused expression. “There was a girl at the restaurant?”

Sanji’s face cleared into understanding, and a wistful expression, that I swear had hearts circling his head. “Oh, you mean Miss Ashley.”

“Wait. Wait. You mean you’ve met Ash too? Seriously?” I grabbed Luffy by the shoulders, desperate that this not be a joke.

“Yep!” he said, and Sanji clarified for me. “She came with Hawk Eye. We left before she did, but she said he was coming back for her.”

I didn’t let go of Luffy, but I turned incredulous, to Sanji. “She was _with_ Hawk Eye? As in Dracule Mihawk? The warlord and world’s greatest swordsman?”

They nodded at me, and Luffy chuckled again. “That’s two out of three! Only one more to find!”

Luffy had met three of us, already. It was incredible, amazing and totally improbable. I moved my arms around his neck and just hugged him. I could feel him pat my back, not squeezing tighter as Sanji would, or trying to get away like Zoro might. Just letting me hug him as I needed to. 

“Thank you Captain. Thank you so much,” I said quietly.


	21. The Strawhats Adventures Continue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously:
> 
> Kia and Chopper finally join the Straw hat crew. Kia wins her first game of hide and seek, worrying her new friends by falling asleep while hiding. Kia then discovers that Luffy has met both Reese and Ash. The crew sails off towards Alabasta.

I walked onto the deck, and immediately see Chopper waving his arms frantically and yelling. Usopp is standing over him, and as I get closer I can hear him talking about vampire penguins, and reindeer-eating clams. I’m about to break it up when Chopper backs into Luffy, just as he holds up his artwork. Of all the things Luffy is, an artist is not one of them. I can’t exactly tell what the picture is supposed to be, but Chopper takes one look at it, and screams, “Monster!”

“Hey!” Luffy yells back, annoyed. “I’m not a monster!” which has Chopper running scared, and hiding behind me. Well… trying to hide anyway.

Zoro picks this moment to add, “You’re too scared Chopper. How are you going to fight with us in Alabasta?”

“Hey, Zoro,” I say calmly. “Chopper is brave and can fight when he needs to. He’ll be fine.”

“Just make sure not to run away and leave Kia unprotected.” Sanji comments as he walks towards us with a tray of snacks. He hands me a plate, and gives the other plate to the boys to share. After the first few times, when he realized I always shared my helping, he started giving the boys a bigger serving, so I wouldn’t feel obligated to. I still shared with Chopper though.

“I’m a pirate now! I don’t run away!” Chopper shouted at all of us, and the guys all smiled and I giggled. 

“Come on Chopper, lets go get your office ready so you can see patients.” Taking his hoof in my hand, and balancing our plate of snacks in the other, we headed to the storage area in the cannon deck that we would use for Chopper’s treatment area. I smiled as he ran around the room excitedly. I picked up a crate, thinking it was a good place to start as any. “Where do you want this, Chopper?”

“Um, what do you think Kia?”

I grinned at the adorable reindeer human. “It’s your room, so it’s up to you how you set it up. But, we could always change something later if it doesn’t work well.”

“Okay, then how about over here?” I moved the crate to where he was pointing, and looked over at the door where we heard raised voices. “Should we go see what’s going on out there?” he asked me. 

“Sure! That’s what a pirate would do, I think.” He rushed over to the door, eager to prove he was a pirate, which just made me grin. I don’t know that I could ever be sad or upset if Chopper was around. 

Chopper ran out the door, as the ship lurched. I gripped the doorway, uncertain of what was happening. I could see several of the others holding on to the railing, the mast, or even the rigging. Sanji had braced himself between the stair rail and the side of the ship, and Nami and Usopp were screaming.

I could see plumes of water shooting up beside the Merry, and then they were gone. Luffy shouted a ‘Woohoo!’ and I heard Usopp say that we were flying. I understood then that the plumes hadn’t disappeared, we had been shot up as well!

The ship was once again steady, so we made our way to the railings and looked over the side. The shoots of water had formed a circle, all the way around an island, and the wind it created had us sailing in the air straight for the land.

“What’s happening?” Vivi shouted from the kitchen balcony.

“Volcanos!” Nami yelled back. “Under the water!”

“It’s amazing!” Zoro called from the bow.

Our oohing and awing was cut abruptly short when the ship began to fall, and everyone started to yell. Chopper’s hold on the railing slipped and he went tail over hat, right up the stairs. He kept falling upwards, as the ship was descending rapidly and he grabbed for the jolly roger, catching it before he fell out of the ship completely.

“Chopper!” I shouted, making my way up the stairs, and onto the rigging. “I’m coming!” I tried to climb quickly, but I felt like I was moving through sludge. The flag began to tear, and Luffy stretched out to catch him. “No! CHOPPER!!” I screamed, reaching out as if my own limbs would stretch. Vivi grabbed onto me, trying to keep me in. We watched as Luffy’s reach was not enough, and Chopper- still holding onto the torn flag- fell into the forest.

“Can’t… hold…on…” I could hear Vivi pant, though most of my body was hanging over the side. We were nearing a lake or river of some kind, and I hoped she could hold me until then. Then I was weightless, falling, and watching the Merry continue without us. Vivi and I screamed, hitting a huge leafy tree, and falling down it, breaking all it’s branches on the fall. However, those branches helped to stop our momentum, and we fell to the ground covered in scratches, but with no broken bones.

“Ugh” I groaned. “Vivi? You okay?”

“Ow…” she replied. “I think so.”

“I appreciate the help. That fall would have been much worse if I had fallen sooner.” I stood up, and held out my hand to help her up. I couldn’t help but giggle as I saw the state of her hair. There were several clumps sticking out of her ponytail, and she had leaves and twigs embedded everywhere.

“If you’re giggling at my hair, I can assure you, yours is just as bad.”

“Oh.” I stopped laughing, and felt my head, then shrugged. “I help you, you help me?” I offered. 

“Deal.” 

We spent some time getting ourselves back to somewhat normal, then decided to head in the direction the Going Merry had fallen. We figured that everyone would be looking for us and Chopper, and would be heading in our direction as well.

* * * * *

 

“The King’s treasure?” 

“I think so,” Nami replied. “Those plumes of water were no accident. They form a circle all around the island, which is why it is called Crown Island.”

“Nami, you’re amazing!” Sanji crooned.

The remaining Straw Hat crew continued to pick up the wreckage around the ship from their impromptu landing, trying to decide what to do first.

“We need to find Vivi and Kia!” Sanji exclaimed. “My beauties, where have you gone? I’ll rescue you!”

“Idiot cook,” Zoro murmured. 

“What was that!?”

“I said, don’t forget about Chopper.” 

“You there, humans. Why are you here?”

The fight stopped as abruptly as it started, as everyone stared at the giant bird before them. It was sitting on top of a hippo, next to a goat.

“That bird can talk?!” Usopp gaped.

“Duh, it’s a parrot,” Zoro stated. “Parrots can talk.”

“Not like that!”

“The human tongue is not a problem for me, though only I and one other can actually speak like this,” the bird explained.

“This is the coolest island!” Luffy exclaimed, suddenly right in front of the bird. “Hey, so have you seen Vivi and Kia? Or Chopper?”

“Chopper?” the bird asked, looking confused.

 

* * * * *

Chopper hadn’t spent much time around other animals, let alone humans. He didn’t understand why a single human boy would be living among an island full of animals, or why falling from the ship onto a rock, making him cry out, would make him their king. Nothing was making sense.

“Mobambi, I can’t be your king.”

“Sure you can Chopper. You belong here with us, plus you fell from the heavens, so you are the king.”

“Mobambi, that doesn’t make sense. I need to find my crew, they are probably looking for me. At least, I hope they are, he thought.

“Crew?”

“Yeah, I’m the doctor of our pirate crew, our ship landed here on accident.”

“A PIRATE?! No. That’s not true. Pirates are evil, and wicked, and I hate them!”

“What? No, my friends are nice pirates-”

“There is no such thing! A pirate killed my father, and wrecked our ship. That’s how I ended up here, stranded on this island, alone. The animals took me in, made me one of them.”

Chopper wasn’t sure what to say to Mobambi. He was obviously upset about the idea of pirates, but he didn’t know Luffy and the others like Chopper did. But he didn’t want to listen to Choppers explanations either.

“Did… you say you were a doctor?” Mobambi asked.

“Yes, I am.”

“That’s great! There are many who are hurt. Come, I’ll show you.”

Chopper followed, unwilling to not help those that needed it. Hopefully by the time the others found him, he could convince Mobambi that he was most definitely not their king.

* * * * *

“Kia, I’ve been meaning to ask…”

We had decided to stop and take a break, and had just sat down on the grass when Vivi spoke to me. I waited, but she didn’t continue.

“What is it Vivi?”

“I’m not sure how to say it, but I wondered… what it’s like to have sisters? I’ve always wanted siblings.”

I giggled, and stretched out on the grass. “Most of the time, it’s great!” I said. “But it’s kind of like being a part of a crew, or even just having friends. The people who are closest to you know all the good things about you, but all the bad things as well.”

“Okay, but why would that make a difference.”

“Say you got really annoyed at someone, say, Usopp.”

“Why, did he do something?”

“Well, it’s hypothetical. But let’s he did something, and now you want to get even.”

“Hmm, I’d probably switch all of his experiment ingredients around, it would really bother him.”

“Exactly!”

“I don’t get it.”

I laughed. I was obviously not explaining this well. “Well, it’s basically the same for siblings. We grew up together, so we know all of the little things that annoy each other. So if we ever have a fight, we can do a lot more damage than if we were fighting with someone we hardly knew.”

“I see.”

“But on the other hand, it was like having friends that knew me inside and out. Growing up together means we had a lot of the same experiences. Not everyone gets along with their siblings, but mine are my best friends.” Having said that, my face fell as I thought about them.

“I’m sure you’ll find them before you know it,” Vivi said, putting her hand on my arm.

“Thanks, I hope so.”

Some of the strangest sounding music started, and we looked at each other, Vivi in curiosity and me in horror. 

“Come on, let’s find out what that is,” I said. “Maybe whoever that is has seen the others.”

* * * * *

Luffy collapsed onto a large flat rock, his stomach growling loudly. “I’m SO hungry!” he moaned.

“Yeah,” Usopp agreed, falling onto another rock. “There’s nothing but jungle and fields everywhere. We’ll starve to death!”

Zoro and Nami sat quietly, taking a break from all their walking, and Sanji turned to the animals that had been trailing them. 

“Why are you following us?” he asked.

“Silence human! We are watching your every move, you cannot be trusted.”

“Calm down, it’s not like we’re going to eat you.”

Luffy chose that moment to throw a hunger tantrum. “MEAT! Give me meat! I’m hungry!” he continued shouting, and the three animals look nervous. “Hey, it’s a pile of PORK!” Luffy shouted, tantrum forgotten momentarily.

The odd looking pig, stopped nearby, making a trumpeting call, then taking off again at a run. “It’s a messenger pig,” the bird explained. “A new king has been crowned.”

“A new king?” Luffy asked excitedly. “I want to meet him!”

Animals began flooding into the clearing, running past the group. The rocks where they were sitting began to move, proving they were not rocks at all, but square looking rhinoceroses, which jumped up and started running with the other animals, carrying the humans along with them.

After some time, they stopped in another large clearing, full of animals of every kind. Luffy excitedly began to run with them, but they were all scared of him.

“Hmm…” Usopp mused. “We’ll have to look like animals if we want to play with them.” 

“For such a small bag, Usopp sure carries a lot of things.” Zoro commented dryly. 

Nami glared at him. “Why couldn’t they be nicer things?”

“Hey, aren’t you going to play with us?” Usopp asked. “I made these fantastic suits so we could!”

Nami glared again. The large peanut shaped brown suit, the huge awkward gloves, the huge fake ears… It was too much! She looked over at Sanji who had a sheet tied around his neck giving him an apron, bandages wrapped around his shoes, and a pot on his head painted as a panda face. She then looked at Zoro, who had a giant, suit- for lack of a better word- with a hole in the middle for his head. It had large eyes painted on the front on either side of his face, and yellow webbed feet painted at the bottom. His hands were in triangle shaped gloves, she supposed to mimic flippers, and there was a large “P” painted on the belly- obviously to signify penguin, instead of duck.

They were the saddest looking penguin, monkey and panda ever. But compared to the guy's costumes, she supposed hers wasn’t so bad. Usopp had given himself a large furry mane, and paws with his onesie fur suit. Luffy’s however, was the simplest. Dried leaves wrapped into a skirt, and shirt, sticks wrapped in a bandage and tied to his head on top of his hat, to resemble antlers. She had no idea what he was supposed to be, but at least he was having fun. She was ready to get going, and find her friends. They needed to get to Alabasta after all, and finding the treasure on this island was already going to take some time!

Suddenly the animals all started panicking and running in every direction as a stampede of animals headed their way. 

“What’s going on?” Luffy asked the talkative bird. 

“Horn eaters!”

“Huh?”

“They attack all animals with horns, and have killed all our elders.” The bird flew off, and Luffy took a fighting position.

“Let’s get started!” he called.

“No,” Usopp called as he ran up and grabbed Luffy. “Let’s run!” The crew scattered as the horn eaters came upon them, turning and following Usopp and Luffy. “AAH!! Why are they following me?” Usopp screeched.

The talking bird flew above him. “They attack any with horns!” he called.

Usopp looked confused. “Horns?” he asked, looking up at Luffy. Understanding dawned, and he set Luffy down and continued running away.

“Huh?” Luffy said, then looked back at he animals almost on top of him. He stood and pulled the sticks from the tie on his hat, and threw them away, just in front of himself. And then was run over as the animals ran past.

“Moron! Don’t throw them in front of you!” Nami called from the tree line.


	22. The Animal King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about missing last week's update, so here's a double chapter this week to make up for it!

Vivi and I followed the strange music, coming to a clearing nearby a waterfall. An extremely pale man with horrible fashion sense stood playing a violin, with two men kneeling on the ground behind him, as if waiting for him to finish. The ground rumbled as animals came racing towards them, and the two that were kneeling stood up. 

One was huge, tall and broad, though he seemed older, he was extremely strong based on the muscles in his arms, which he showed off by wearing a sleeveless tunic. He had a collar of spikes around his neck and bracelets of spikes on both wrists. The other man, was also tall, but very slim. He wore fine clothes, had a menacing look about him, and a large sword sheathed at his back. 

Animals that were herded to them cowered in front of the two men, as the pulled weapons out and began to attack. The music continued, and we watched in horror as every animal’s antler or horn, whether on the top of their head, or their face was cut from them. The two men continued, attack after attack, getting their trophies and kicking the living animals into the river to sweep over the waterfall.

Vivi and I looked at each other, then ran out yelling. “Stop! Leave them alone!” 

* * * * *

“We’ve asked every animal we’ve come across, and no sign of Vivi, Kia, or Chopper!” Usopp lamented.

“Or the treasure!” Nami added.

“Come on, we’ll find them eventually.” Zoro stated, continuing the hike upwards. “Wait.” Everyone stopped. “Did you hear that?” They all listened intently, hearing the sound of talking.

“Voices!” The crew continued faster, eager to see if their friends were close. They came upon a strange scene. A table, in the middle of a clearing, set with a fancy tablecloth, piled high with what looked like bones. Kia and Vivi and a strange looking man were seated there, though only the man was eating. A few of the Strawhats winced as the man bit into the bones in front of them.

“Vivi! Kia!!” They called, coming forward to greet their friends, only to be stopped by two other men standing in front of them.

Luffy peered around the men, and looked at the seated man. “Are those bones good to eat?” 

His crew groaned. “Always thinking with your stomach!” Sanji said.

“How dare you barge in here!” The man shouted, rising up from his seat. He came forward to glare at Luffy. “Just who do you think I am?”

“You’d better watch it, or you’ll get what’s coming to you,” one of his henchmen said to the group. 

Nami glanced over to her other female crew members, catching both of them rolling their eyes. Hers widened in surprise as the leader reared back to punch Luffy, and instead punched his silent henchman, who didn’t even notice.

The leader, wailed in pain, as his minions tried to comfort him with condiments from the table. The crew looked at their seated companions in confusion, but only received shaking heads in return.

“Aha! Now you know how dangerous I am!” The Strawhats looked back to the leader as he tried to play off his bungle. “Would you like to know more?”

“No thanks.” they all said in unison.

“Okay, I’ll tell you! I’m a brilliant inventor and biologist, and an expert treasure hunter. I’m the world’s ultra genius, Baron Butler!”

“World’s ultra genius?” Luffy asked, impressed.

“And I’m general Hot Dog,” the large muscle man added. “The world’s strongest.”

“What.” Zoro deadpanned.

“And I am Snake,” the thinner man introduced himself. “The most handsome man,” he said as he flipped his limp hair. He had tattoos on his face and hands, and his hair laid so flat to his head, that it seemed to be tattooed there as well. 

“The most handsome?” Sanji asked sarcastically.

“Yes,” he answered, though it hadn’t been a serious question. “I am so seductive, that no woman escapes me.”

“Are you looking for the king’s treasure?” Nami asked him.

As his eyes looked to Nami, he fell to one knee in front of her, grabbing her hand in between both of his. “Of course fair lady!”

“Oh? You’re so handsome! Will you tell me please?” She asked, and the men around her looked at her in shock.

“I can only tell you if you join our crew, we tell no one but our own crew.”

“Of course, I’ll join!” Nami said with a smile, and Sanji looked like he would murder someone.

“No way!” Luffy said. “You’re a bad guy!” 

“What?” Baron Butler said. “What makes you think that?” 

Luffy looked at Nami, the guys around him, taking in Kia and Vivi sitting still at the table, and the pile of horns and antlers. “Just a hunch.”

Nami hit Luffy over the head, as Baron Butler raged at the sky. 

“Sir Butler, these people seem like dimwits.”

Butler looked at Snake and Hot Dog, as they fell into place behind him once again. “Too bad. I can’t tell dimwits about the treasure,” he said.

“Please?” Nami asked.

“No!” he yelled.

Luffy stood back up. “Fine. We’re leaving. Kia, Vivi! Let’s go!”

Baron Butler gave an evil grin. “They can’t. They are part of my crew now.”

“What?” the Straw hats asked, looking at their friends for confirmation.

“No we’re not!” Vivi yelled.

“Yeah, it’s not our fault you told us everything! We didn’t even ask!” Kia added.

“Silence!” Butler yelled, pulling out his violin. “Horn eaters, kill them!”

“AAH!” Usopp screeched.

Luffy stretched out his arms, wrapping around Kia and Vivi’s shoulders, and pulling them to him. They upended the table as they flew over to their crew, knocking into everyone and sending the entire group over the cliff into the water. They quickly found a large branch, pulling Luffy, Vivi and Kia onto it.

“I’m sorry Vivi my dear, Kia my heart! If I had realized you were tied up, I would have gone to you at once!” Sanji lamented. 

“It’s fine Sanji,” Vivi said, pulling the ropes that Zoro had cut off her.

“Yeah, no worries,” I added, rubbing feeling back into my wrists. “It wasn’t much of a problem, we were simply waiting for a good time to escape.”

“Look!” Nami said, pointing to the shore. The shore was full of animals, all injured from having their horns removed, and falling over the waterfall.

“That’s their work,” Vivi said angrily. “Butler controls the horn eaters with his violin, making them round up any animal with a horn. Snake and Hot Dog then cut the horns off and push the animals over the cliff.”

“Butler said that the treasure is actually a horn of an animal,” I added. “That’s why they are doing this.” 

“Wait, but that means Chopper is in danger too!” Usopp said.

“Oh no!” Nami cried.

“He’ll be fine,” Luffy said, unconcerned. “He’s strong.”

“He is?” Usopp questioned.

“Yeah, he’s one of us. So he’s strong. Right?”

Zoro smirked. “That sounds right to me.” 

“I have to agree,” Sanji said.

“But shouldn’t we still look for him?” Usopp asked.

“I know!” Luffy said, pointing to the shore where the talking bird and his companions stood watching them. “Let’s ask the animal king!” 

The crew looked at each other, then at the hippo, who looked nervous by the attention.

 

* * * * *

 

“I still can’t believe you’re the animal king, Chopper!” Nami said. We all nodded as we continued to eat the fruits that Chopper had brought out to us. We were all so happy to be reunited, even though the kid and the animals seemed less than thrilled.

“Not just anyone can become royalty after all,” Sanji said. “I myself am more of a prince type, coming in on a white steed, saving beautiful princesses…” I rolled my eyes as Sanji lost himself in his own fantasy. 

“Idiot.” 

“What?!” Sanji exclaimed, turning to glare at Zoro. I could hear Vivi beside me give a sigh. These two were always fighting!

“Just shut up and eat… _prince_.”

Sanji glared, then turned back and muttered, “So says the brainless muscle-head.”

“WHAT?!”

Vivi and I both sighed as the two of them started fighting again. Sometimes it was funny, but lately it had been so often, we were all getting sick of it.

“Hey, is there any meat?” Luffy asked. Nami, Vivi and I shook our heads, as all the animals ran away.

“Luffy, you idiot, you scared them!” Nami yelled at him.

“Besides, haven’t you had enough?” I asked, noting how large Luffy had gotten, his body stretching to hold all the food he had been consuming.

“Nah, I’m still hungry!”

An explosion suddenly rocked the ground, and we all turned, seeing a huge plume of smoke. Chopper took off, and we immediately followed.

We ran down to a smaller plateau, noting that Butler, Hot Dog and Snake were standing before a group of cowering animals, the same ones that had run from us just minutes before. 

“The animal king will surrender to me, or I will have the horn eaters attack everyone!” Butler shouted. 

Nami looked around. “Where did those guys go? Right when we need them to fight!”

“We need to destroy that violin…” Vivi said. I didn’t respond, as I was watching Chopper. He was scared, I could see it. But he also was growing more and more determined, the longer he saw the scared animals. He jumped down to join Butler, wearing our jolly roger as a cape, dressed in some of Mobambi’s ridiculous fancy clothes. 

Butler looked at him in disdain. “Who are you?”

“I’m Tony Tony Chopper!” Chopper called, standing tall before the human towering over him. “I’m the animal king. Call off the horn eaters!”

Butler laughed snidely. “Of course your majesty, once you defeat them of course!”

Chopper paled as he saw the horn eaters coming straight at him. I jumped down to join him. “Chopper, run!” I said, standing in front of him. He wasn’t moving, so I said, “Operation Decoy!” trying to get him to snap out of it. I waved my arms like a fool, and walked away from Chopper. He wasn’t moving, so I needed to make myself the target. 

“No! Kia!” Before I could look back, Chopper in his human form, had picked me up and started running, turning sharply before the horn eaters, leading them away from the others.

I could hear the violin play, Butler probably giving the horn eaters direction to pursue us. “Chopper! Why’d you pick me up? I was trying to be a decoy! I don’t have horns, they wouldn’t have attacked me.” 

“I couldn’t let you get hurt for me Kia,” Chopper panted. “Besides, Sanji would kill me if I didn’t protect you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You can put me down now, I can run.”

“I’m okay.”

 

* * * * *

Luffy, Zoro and Sanji finally joined the others, once Luffy’s body digested his food, and his huge body shrunk back to normal. They had been stuck in the doorway the entire time.

“What’s happened?” Luffy asked.

“I guess, Chopper really is a coward.” Mobambi said sadly. “The girl tried to help him, but he just grabbed her and ran away, instead of fighting.”

“We’d better go rescue him,” Sanji said.

“You coming?” Luffy asked Mobambi.

“Me? But I’m weak. I can’t do anything.”

“So what?” Usopp said. “So am I, but I’m not scared!” Nami and Vivi pointedly looked at his shaking limbs. “That’s nothing.” he muttered.

“You never know unless you try, right?” Luffy asked with a grin.

“Don’t be stupid,” Mobambi muttered, looking away.

“Okay runt,” Luffy replied. “But being a friend isn’t just about staying together.” 

Vivi watched as their three strongest friends went after Kia and Chopper. She thought about what Luffy had said to Mobambi. She hoped that she would remember it when she eventually had to say goodbye.

 

* * * * *

“Um… Chopper?” 

“Yeah?” he panted. He was definitely getting tired.

“It’s hard to explain, you’d better just look.”

Chopper glanced behind to see the Butler and his henchmen riding on the backs of the horn eaters in the front of the pack, and that they were gaining.

“Kia, quick! On my back!”

He stopped in front of a cliff side, setting me down and crouching in front of me. I jumped on his back, and he started climbing up the wall in front of us. Sometimes climbing, sometimes jumping, we quickly made our way to the top. Turning and looking below, we jumped back as Hot Dog’s chain weapon flew by and bedded itself in the rock. We watched as the three men began climbing using the chain as a rope, following quickly behind us.

We ran away, but I shortly after stopped, a cramp in my side. “Go Chopper. I’ll just hide somewhere.”

He looked at me, and nodded, helping me onto a tree ledge shaped oddly like mushroom. “I’ll come back soon,” he said.

I nodded and he hopped down, and walked away. The ledge beneath me broke, and I screamed as I fell down to the ground, landing awkwardly on the rubble. Something wrapped around me, pinning my arms to my sides, and I fell over again. Looking up, I saw Snake, his flexible sword around me, cutting slightly into my skin.

“Scream again, or I’ll tighten it,” he threatened. I just glared, refusing to open my mouth at all. Before he could do anything, I heard Chopper yell, “Kia! Are you okay?”

“Chopper, run! They’ll get you!”

Snake dragged me upright, as Hot Dog began beating Chopper, punching him again and again, Chopper’s little body flying back with each strike. Then Hot Dog held onto my arm, dragging me forward as Snake used his sword to back Chopper up onto another ledge hanging over the cliff edge. I saw a blur of color, and turned just in time to see Sanji kick the ledge, grabbing me and tossing me back to the ground as the ledge fell over the side. I scurried to the side, to see Snake getting to his feet, glaring at Sanji standing over him.

“Who the hell are you?” Snake said angrily.

“A prince,” Sanji replied with a little salute in my direction. I couldn’t help but giggle. 

“What a show off.” I turned to the voice, seeing Zoro hanging by one arm from the cliff side, Chopper in his other arm.

“Sanji! Zoro!” Chopper said happily. Zoro vaulted himself and Chopper up, dropping Chopper suddenly as he dodged an incoming attack from Hot Dog. I watched Zoro smirk, as he told Chopper that he would take care of Hot Dog.

Chopper started running, only to be caught by Baron Butler moments later. Butler grabbed Chopper’s antlers, ready to break them off. Chopper tensed, ready to cry out, and I screamed his name, running for him. We were both too late.

“Gum gum ROCKET!”

Butler was shot off of Chopper, skidding across the ground and smashing into a rock.

“Luffy!” Chopper and I both said in relief.

“Chopper!” Usopp, Nami and Vivi came running up behind Luffy. Chopper looked so happy, as he squealed their names. "You guys came!”

Butler stood up yelling, pulling out his violin, and calling the horn eaters back again. My crew took off running, Luffy getting hit and bouncing away. I wasn’t in their path, so I turned back to Sanji and Zoro. I knew they could handle themselves, and they would be angry rather than grateful if I interfered… but as guilty as it made me feel, I wanted to see them fight. And not like I did when they sparred. A real, life on the line, fight.

I went to the cliff edge, noting that both were now down in the shallow water, Snake edging Sanji towards the shadows of the trees, and Hot Dog edging Zoro out into the open field. I climbed down slowly, to make sure I went unnoticed.

I found a tree near the edge of the trees that provided good cover, and peeking around it, watched as Sanji exchanged blows with Snake. I wondered why Sanji was fighting the swordsman instead of Zoro, but then remembered how offended they each had been when these two had introduced themselves. Sanji obviously wanted to bring down the man who claimed to be the most handsome.

As Sanji went in for a kick, Snake up and disappeared. Sanji stood, glancing around, and Snake appeared behind him, his sword swinging. I winced as Sanji avoided serious injury, but he was definitely cut in many places.

I heard speaking behind me, and turned to see Hot Dog taunting Zoro, his chain wrapped several times around Zoro’s torso. He stepped back and kicked out at Zoro again and again. They obviously were powerful kicks, but Zoro simply took them, standing back upright after each one.

I turned around, checking back on Sanji. He was getting up from the ground, Snake standing over him.

“Why do you keep fighting? I have obviously beaten you.” His face took on a sly grin. “It’s for one of those girls isn’t it? Or perhaps all three? You keep fighting for them.”

Sanji sat, a smirk on his face. “You don’t get it. I vowed to protect my friends with my life. I’m fighting for all of them.”

“Don’t make me laugh.” Snake sauntered forward, leaning down slightly. “You’re weak, and you can’t protect anything.”

Sanji looked up, spitting his lit cigarette into Snake’s face, making him reel back. Before I could blink, Sanji’s foot followed, and I could hear him growl out “Weak?!”

He followed that kick with another, landing on his hands and flipping into another kick to Snakes’s face. “Just who do you think you’re dealing with!”

“Impossible,” Snake muttered from the ground, his nose broken, and his face bloody. “How can you even move, after all those cuts I gave you?” he managed to ask before he fell unconscious. 

“Idiot,” Sanji replied, making sure the cigarette he spit out was properly extinguished. “Your cuts were nothing compared to his. Now who’s the weakling?”

I held in my giggle, and turned back out to watch Zoro, as Sanji looked for his sunglasses. Zoro seemed to still be in the same predicament, he had the chain wrapped around him, and his face was bleeding from a cut somewhere. Hot Dog gave a flying tackle kick, sending Zoro falling back into the water. He turned, assuming he had finished him off, but turned back sensing Zoro back on his feet. Zoro it seemed had finally had enough, and flexing his arms, shattered the chain that was around him.

“How in the ….” Hot Dog asked.

“Kicks that can split steel? Don’t make me laugh,” Zoro answered with a smirk. He pulled his bandanna from his arm, and tied it over his head. He pulled out a sword, and challenged, “Let’s see how strong you really are.”

Hot Dog’s face went red, and he went straight for Zoro, kicking with his might. For all his bravado, Zoro slipped, and went down on one knee. Hot Dog saw it as a weakness and tried to exploit it.

“You are weak from my kicks.” He sneered at Zoro. “All your friends are done for, and you can’t help them.”

“I don’t need to help them,” Zoro replied. He tore the remains of his shirt aside and pulled out he other two swords. I’ll admit, it was quite a sight. “They are strong, stronger than you’ll ever know.”

“What?!” 

“Strength isn’t about power, or techniques.” Hot Dog didn’t want to listen to a lecture, and jumped for Zoro, kicking out. “It’s in the SOUL!” Zoro yelled, slashing out and blocking the kick, sending Hot Dog falling back.

“No!” Hot Dog yelled as he stood. “I’m the world’s strongest! Now, you die!” He spun around, building momentum and launched himself at Zoro.

I watched as Zoro grinned. It was these moments, that he lived for. He spun his swords around, doing a complicated movement involving turns and slashes, calling out “Whirl…. Wind!!!”

Hot Dog was slashed, the wind from the swords carrying him up in what looked like an actual tornado. It was amazing!

“How… how?? My kicks are the most powerful!” He landed with a crash behind Zoro, already out cold.

Zoro took his time, sheathing his swords. “I know a guy, who kicks way harder than you ever could.” He went to pick up his torn shirt. “A really annoying guy,” he finished. I was keeping my laughter in, but snorted out loud, and Zoro turned to glare at me. “Kia,” he stated, as he saw me. “Tell anyone I said that, and I’ll cut you.”

Now I really laughed, because it was an empty threat, and we both knew it. He got more and more annoyed as we went to join the others, because I just couldn’t stop laughing. I’d calm down, and then look over at him and start back up again.

* * * * *

 

We rejoined everyone else as Luffy bazooka-ed Butler out of sight. The animals were cheering, and Mobambi was apologizing for losing the king’s treasure. The animals didn’t care, they wanted him to stay, because he was their friend. I stood next to Zoro, smiling as the kid tried to convince Chopper to stay with them as well, then realizing he couldn’t, tried to push him away to make it easier to say goodbye.

The noise stopped us all, and we watched as the plumes of water from the underwater volcanoes shot up all around the island. I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but I’d explain it as the colors of the sunset reflecting off the mist from the plumes, but the water looked golden. We looked around in awe, the golden crown surrounding the island, and the animals explained that it was the answer to a prophecy long ago, and that Heaven had accepted their new king.

“Mobambi.”

The boy, tears streaming down his face, looked at Chopper as he walked over. 

“We’ll always be friends Mobambi, even if we’re far apart.” Mombambi continued to bawl, and soon enough Chopper had joined him, wailing, as we watched with small smiles on our faces. We had to go, even if we wanted to stay and celebrate, but we had no time to spare. The animals filled our ship with fruit, worrying that if would go bad before we could eat it, but Luffy just asked for more, and they were happy to oblige. 

“What an adventure,” Vivi said, as we sailed off. We sat together on deck, Luffy on Merry’s Head, looking out on the horizon.

“And no treasure to make it worthwhile,” Nami commented.

“What? We got the real treasure back!” Zoro said.

“Real treasure? What did you find?” Chopper asked excitedly. 

“You, Chopper. And-” Luffy said. 

“And Vivi and Kia!!” Sanji sang, interrupting Luffy.

I looked at Nami and Vivi and we all rolled our eyes, then giggled.

“What’s so funny?” Zoro demanded.

“Oh yeah, I meant to tell everyone…” Zoro tensed glared daggers at me.

“What’s that?” Usopp asked.

“I got to watch Sanji and Zoro fight those two henchmen, and it was really impressive.”

“Oh, thank you Kia my love!” Sanji swooned. Zoro just watched, waiting for me to tell what he said.

“AND… it was really funny, because after they beat them, and they were out cold on the ground… both Zoro and Sanji insulted them.” The crew looked confused, and Sanji tensed as well.

“So what did they say?” Usopp asked, glancing at both Sanji and Zoro, unsure what the issue was.

I just laughed, the looks I was getting was too much. “Pretty much the same thing." I puffed out my chest, "Now who’s the best?” I said in a fake, macho sounding voice. The others laughed, and Sanji and Zoro both gave me grateful smiles.

“Pretty dumb to copy what I said,” Sanji said to Zoro as he walked to the kitchen.

“What?!”

The girls and I rolled our eyes again, as the wind picked up. 

“On to Alabasta!” Luffy called out.


	23. His name is Ace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Strawhat crew left Crown Island, Mobambi as the new king of the animals, and headed toward Alabasta.

“Tell me the truth Luffy! No, don’t look away.”

“I don’t know what you mean Sanji, nope, no clue.”

I listened with only half an ear, as I knew this wouldn’t end well. We all knew that Luffy had eaten practically every scrap of food on the ship while we were asleep last night, with Usopp, Karoo, and Chopper helping to finish it off this morning. What Sanji wanted however, was a confession before he kicked Luffy across the ship.

“Please Nami,” Sanji called up. Nami, Vivi and I looked down at him. “Can’t we buy a refrigerator that locks?” I smiled a bit, noting Sanji’s pink cheeks. No matter what he spoke of, he just loved talking to Nami.

“We may have to,” Nami replied. “It seems it could be the difference between life and death at some point.”

I glanced at Nami. “Couldn’t we just install a lock of some sort? Rather than buying an entirely new fridge?” 

“Hmm, I think you’re on to something there, it would be much cheaper too. But I haven’t heard of anything like that before.”

“We could just wrap a chain around it and lock it,” Vivi added. “Until we find a better solution.”

“We shouldn’t worry about it now anyway, we don’t have food to lock up, and we’re almost to Alabasta.” Nami dismissed the conversation for now.

Vivi got more and more quiet as time went on, so I stuck with her as she wandered the ship. I tried to get her to open up, knowing she would feel better if she talked about it. Wentalked about a few things, though she never went into detail. I tried bringing up the rebels, anything to start her talking, but she remained silently stewing.

We stayed up on the balcony by the kitchen, not speaking, but enjoying each others’ company all the same. We supported each other as we sailed through a patch of steam rising from underwater hot spots, listening to Nami explain about how new islands were formed with magma. And we stayed silently observing as Zoro helped fish a man dressed as a ballerina out of the ocean, who was found on Karoo as we exited the steam. No one knew where he had come from, but he fell in the water and said he couldn’t swim, so Luffy wanted to help him.

I’m sure my facial expression was very different from Vivi’s as we watched the strange man interact with the crew. I was smiling, and giggling at their shock and amazement, watching as Bon Clay became each of them, showing off his clone-clone fruit powers. Once he showed Cobra’s face however, and Vivi gasped, I could see she was trembling. I put my hand on her arm, and murmured, “It will be okay,” to her. 

I know she gave me a strange look, but it couldn’t be helped. Hopefully, she would just think I was being kind, not knowing what had upset her. I wasn’t sure though, and tried to take comfort in my own words. This was the point where everyone on the crew fought together, and I still didn’t know how I was going to be able to contribute, or even if I could. My idea of fighting was wrestling with my sister. I hadn’t thrown punches or kicks before, though Dalton had taught me defense, I was starting to get worried.

Before I realized it, Bon Clay had left, and Vivi was talking to the crew about Mr. 2, since they had discovered his identity. Sanji also joined us from the storage room, brought out by Nami’s wailing as she realized that Mr.2 made it impossible to even trust our own friends.

“Wait, this guy’s impersonations were that good?” Sanji asked skeptically.

“It wasn’t just good Sanji, it was exactly the same!” Usopp replied. “The body and the voice were an exact match! He turned into each of us, and then, we got to dance with him! You should have seen it.”

Sanji made a face. “I’m not interested in watching a male ballerina dance, thanks anyway.”

“I’m glad we met Mr.2 when we did,” Zoro said. “Now we know his power, and we can prepare.” He looked around at each of us. “Here’s my idea.”

As Zoro explained not only his idea, but how we would use it, everyone but Luffy began nodding along.

“What a good idea!” Vivi said.

“Yeah, we’ll always know who our friends are,” Nami added.

“Oh!” Luffy grinned, as Zoro came to him with a marker. 

“Well? What should the mark be Captain?” Zoro asked.

“An X!” Luffy exclaimed. “It’s perfect for pirates. And it’s even better now, because it’s a sign of our friendship!”

We got to work, marking each person’s left arm and covering the mark with a bandage. 

“Is that tight enough Chopper?” I asked. “I want it to able to stay on, but not hurt if you need to transform.” 

“Maybe a little looser then, Kia.” Chopper replied, then giggled and I grinned at how adorable it was. “It’s neat to have a sign of our friendship.”

“Well, then Sanji and I need one as well!” I said loudly, having the rest of the crew turn to me.

“But Kia, Mr.2 can’t impersonate you and Sanji,” Nami explained. “We’ll know that you are you.”

“True, but we’re a part of the crew, and it’s a sign of our friendship, so we need one.” I grabbed the marker, and turned to Sanji. “Ready?” 

“Of course!” Sanji’s voice only had a slight coo to it, he was taking this as seriously as I was. He rolled up his sleeve, and I drew a big X on his arm, then handed the marker to him to draw mine.

Zoro handed me a bandage, and I noted that he was smiling as well, though it was a small smile, I still felt victorious. I knelt down to let Chopper tie my bandage on. 

“Is that tight enough Kia?” he asked. 

“It’s perfect Chopper.”

* * * * *

 

We approached Nanohana, and we listened to Nami as she gave instructions to Luffy about thinking before he did anything stupid. He assured us all that he understood, and he’d do his best.

Chopper and Luffy were complaining about the lack of food and the heat, and everyone sympathized with Chopper, and ignored Luffy. Both quickly perked up as we brought the Merry to dock just outside of town.

“Now you guys, I want everyone on their best behavior while we’re here, we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”

“You do realize that the one who needs to hear that is already gone?” Zoro asked sarcastically.

“That moron!” Nami yelled angrily.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find him later.” Sanji said, jumping from the ship.

“Yeah,” Zoro agreed. “Luffy can take care of himself. Let’s go get some food.”

“Stick with Zoro and Sanji, Chopper” I told him, ushering him ahead. “They’ll help you while you’re learning about how to be a pirate.” 

“Okay Kia!” Chopper said excitedly, and jumped down after Zoro.

“Come on Vivi,” Nami said. “Let’s go.”

“I can’t, and neither can Karoo. We’re too recognizable here.” Vivi replied. “We’ll stay and watch the ship.” 

“Sorry Vivi,” I added. “But that’s my job. Usopp? You can help disguise Vivi and Karoo can’t you?”

“Of course, but… are you sure you want to stay here Kia?”

“Yeah, I don’t like leaving Merry all alone. Just make sure to get supplies for me too, okay?” I walked up to Vivi, and lowered my voice so only she could hear. “You need to go Vivi, you need to see for yourself how your country is doing.”

Vivi paused, searching my eyes. She either found what she was looking for, or decided to forget it, because she turned away and strode over to the ladder. “Okay, Kia. I’ll go.”

I waved goodbye to the crew, and then started over to the storage room. I hoped Chopper and Usopp would forgive me, but I was about to raid their areas because I needed some kind of weapon, and I’d have to macgyver something together.

Down in storage, there was a few things to pick through, though it was now mostly scrap, as Usopp had dismantled any weapons that we found. There were no blades, and I was somewhat relieved. I knew that would be the best, but I really didn’t want to cut anyone, I just wanted to be able to perhaps knock them out.

I searched the entire ship for what felt like hours, but came up empty handed. I finally grabbed a small sack that I could tie around my waist, and filled it with some of Usopp’s ammunition, though I stayed away from the Tabasco stars. I grabbed lead stars and caltrops, thinking that it would at least give me a way to create a distraction, enough so that I could get away. I’d have to try to stick with one of the monster trio in the upcoming fights.

I went downstairs again, looking for any sacks and things that we would need to take with us to carry supplies. I looked around, grabbing anything that seemed helpful, then headed back on deck, and sat down to wait for the others. I soon got back up, because sitting led to thinking, and I didn’t want to think about what all was coming. If I thought too much about it, I’d try to plan my every move, and I knew I couldn’t do that. If I tried, I’d inevitably forget something, and wind up worse off than if I just took everything as it came.

I looked over at the sky, seeing the huge cloud of dark smoke that appeared, and started making preparations to set sail. I lowered the ladder, just as I heard “Kia! Lower the… oh. Nevermind!”

I grinned at Zoro as he came on board, taking the sacks from each of them as they came up. Everyone was in a panic, and ran around quickly to stow the supplies. I followed behind, unhurried. Nami yelled, “We’re shoving off right away!”

“Wait, we’re leaving again? We just got here.” Chopper asked.

“Ready!” 

“Ready!” the guys called out, and Nami answered, “Set sail!”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” I asked, and everyone froze. 

“Ugh! It’s not some _thing,_ it’s some ONE!”

Everyone realized then that Luffy was not here, and Zoro let out everyone’s frustration. 

“That stupid moron!”

 

* * * * *

“What‘re you doing here Ace?”

“You didn’t receive my message, back on Drum Island, huh?”

“A message?”

“And… that’s a no. No matter though, it was just to tell you I’d be here in Alabasta for a couple of days. I’m here on business for the Whitebeard pirates.”

“Whoa, cool.” Luffy started walking and Ace followed suit.

“So Luffy, tell me about your crew. What are they like?”

“They’re amazing! There’s a tough guy who uses three swords, and wants to be the world’s greatest swordsman. A navigator that likes maps and tangerines, and money. There’s a cook who makes really yummy food. And a liar, a lost girl, and a doctor- who happens to be a reindeer!”

“Sounds like quite the crew.”

“Oh, and we also have a princess and her giant duck… but I’m still looking for a musician.”

“You haven’t changed. Let’s go find your crew.”

“They’re probably at the ship. So, we’ll have to find that.”

“You know, a pirate captain usually knows where his ship is…”

“Yeah, but I was hungry, so I forgot.”

“Yep,” Ace said with a grin. “Haven’t changed at all.”

* * * * *

We set sail anyway after arguing for a minute, but when Vivi said she knew of a cove that would be more secluded, we decided it was the best idea, since Luffy wouldn’t remember where we docked anyway. 

I settled next to Chopper, asking him about their adventures in Nanohana. He was really excited, and told me all about it, and I made appropriate comments, like “How exciting!” and “You were so brave!”. Once he mentioned the awful perfume, I said, “but it will come in handy if you ever get separated from us.”

“What? Why would I get separated? Are you leaving me behind?” I quickly tried to calm Chopper down, though Sanji, who had been close by, took over and explained how we needed to be prepared for anything to happen because we were pirates. That worked like a charm, and now Chopper was proud to be prepared, just like a pirate.

Nami climbed to the crow’s nest and she and Sanji combed the shore using binoculars, looking for our captain. 

“There’s Luffy,” Nami called.

“You sure?” Zoro questioned.

“Yeah, it’s his stupid face all right,” Sanji added. “uh oh.”

“What?” 

“Hey guys!” Luffy called as he grabbed onto the ship with his outstretched arm and sling shot himself over, crashing into Sanji and Chopper.

“Sanji! Tony! Are you guys okay?” Vivi called from the balcony.

“Welcome back Captain,” I said with a smile.

“Kia!” Nami yelled at me. “Go change!” I had said I would change clothes once the captain was back, but I had hoped she had forgotten. Sanji handed me my new clothes, and though I tried to convince everyone that I didn’t need them, Nami threatened to punch me if I didn’t wear them.

Since I wasn’t going to get a shower for a few days, I took my time getting clean and putting on my dancer outfit. It was actually really pretty. Nami’s had been the most elaborate, with both dark blue and pink around the white. Vivi’s was purple, and I wasn’t sure if purple was a symbol of royalty here, but either way it was a good choice for her. Mine was a lighter blue, and once I put it on, it really brought out my eyes. 

I shouldn’t have been surprised, Sanji was pretty fashionable after all. Since my hair was still damp, I left it down, knowing it would cause some comments, since I always had it braided. The natural curl wasn’t enough to be curly, instead causing waves that eventually became frizzy. It was much easier to just braid it.

I walked back to the door, and heard Luffy saying “aren’t they interesting?” and laughing. I knew I’d better ask quickly, before the others could chime in. If I got Luffy to agree to let me change, the others couldn’t say anything about it.

“Captain?” I called out as I opened the door, walking out onto the deck. “Permission to put some normal clothes back on?” 

Everyone turned to look at me, and I swear Sanji’s eye was a heart. _How did he DO that?_

“But Kia my heart, you look ravishing! And now you match Nami and Vivi!” Sanji cooed at me. It looked like he was about to swoon taking in the sight of all three of us.

“Wow, Kia,” Usopp said, his eyes wide.

“Wow what, Usopp?” I asked, my eyes narrowed.

“Uh, nothing,” he said hastily.

“And this is Kia!” Luffy said. “Kia, this is my brother, Ace!” gesturing to the man behind him at the railing.

It had been a little while since I had seen Ace, but here he was. He had been wearing winter clothes in Drum Kingdom, making him look like a cowboy, but now, he looked like a man who lived on the ocean- cargo shorts, shoes and his trademark hat.

He took his time looking me up and down, and I swallowed nervously, but then he grinned at me, and held out his hand.

“Nice to see you, Kiana,” he said, and with a strange sounding giggle, I shook his hand.

“Luffy’s brother, huh?” I asked. “Small world.”

“Baroque works!” Vivi called out, and we all turned. Behind the ship there was several ships closing in on us.

“Luffy, let me handle this,” Ace said. He then did a back flip off the side where he had been perched. We all ran to the side, and saw that he had landed in his small boat.

“Whoa, look at him go! His flame power is powering his boat!” Nami said incredulously.

We all watched amazed as Ace soared into the air while his boat dipped in the water. He jumped all the way over a ship, landing just as his boat came back up to the surface. He was now lined up with the Baroque Works ships. We heard him yell, “Fire Fist!” and flame exploded from his arm into the ship. It traveled forward until it went into and destroyed every ship. By the time he finished, there was nothing but scrap lumber and burning masts in the water.

I kept my eye on Ace as he pushed his hat brim up with a single burning finger and a smirk on his face. I quickly turned around, before I let myself dwell on how he looked. After how badly I bawled after watching the anime, I couldn’t let myself get attached. I turned away, and started braiding my hair.

After Ace rejoined us, Sanji passed out drinks, and we continued to sail towards Erumalu. Ace told us all about chasing after Blackbeard, and I looked down at the deck. I knew more about Blackbeard than I ever wanted to.

“He was one of my men, but he committed the worst crime a pirate could. He killed a fellow crew member and jumped ship. It’s my responsibility to take care of him. That, and I promised I would.”

I looked up at his words, noticing that Ace was looking right at me, and I flushed at the attention. I remembered when I had met him in Robelli town, and Dalton had told him of Judith, he promised me that he would find and take care of Blackbeard.

“I heard he was in a place called Yuba, so that’s where I’m headed.” I glanced back up, hoping that no one had noticed the interaction. Though, from Sanji’s glare, and Nami’s smirk, I was probably wrong.

“Hey, that’s where we’re going, isn’t it Vivi?” Nami asked.

“Yes, exactly.” Vivi replied.

“I guess I’ll tag along then, if that’s all right?” Ace asked Luffy.

“I’ll follow you girls anywhere!” Sanji added.

“Hopefully, it’s off a cliff…” we heard a quiet voice mutter.

“What was that Zoro?!” Sanji stalked over to start fighting, and Nami yelled at them to stop, to which Sanji immediately changed into a love struck man again.


	24. Erumalu, a city no more

We began our journey upriver, Chopper settling himself in front of Zoro as he worked out, the breeze from Zoro swinging his weights helping with the oppressive heat. Ace, Luffy, and Usopp joined Sanji in the kitchen, as he was making tea and a snack.

I tried to disappear downstairs, but Luffy pulled me along into the kitchen, and I found myself sitting next to Ace, waiting for tea. 

“So, Miss Kiana,” Ace drawled, and I tensed. “Luffy oddly didn’t know anything about my message for him. I realize you probably didn’t have a chance to give it to him…”

I face palmed, and turned to him sheepishly. “Sorry about that, but by the time I saw Luffy, everything happened so quickly. Luffy fighting Wapol, zip-lining down the mountain, meeting Chopper and then Luffy basically demanding I join his crew… it’s not a good excuse I know, but I forgot."

Ace held up a hand, “Don’t worry Kiana, it all turned out all right-”

“How come Ace calls you Kiana, Kia?” Luffy asked, interrupting.

“Kia is a nickname Luffy. Like how I call you captain.”

“But I am the captain.”

“Kia is just a shorter version of my name. Ace was never told my nickname, so he only knows me as Kiana. I’m sure he’ll call me Kia now.”

“Not likely,” Ace chimed in, and I turned to him with a questioning look. He didn’t respond, so I continued.

“Anyway, nicknames can be anything,like how some people call you straw hat, or call Usopp long nose. You could come up with whatever you like. We could call Ace…” Now it was my turn to smirk at him. “Flame-brain.”

“Shi-shi-shi! That’s funny!”

“ _Don’t_ call me that.”

I had watched Ace’s expression go from a smile to deadpan in a blink. His deadpan was so good, I couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. 

“I’d better go get ready, we’ll arrive soon.” I quickly stood up and left the kitchen. I found Vivi and Nami, and together we found the cover ups we would need in the desert. We also found something for Luffy to wear, since we hadn’t gotten anything for him earlier.

We made it outside Erumalu without incident, and gathered our supplies. Sanji tried to carry all of Vivi’s, Nami’s and my supplies for us, but Vivi and I refused. 

“How do I do this?” Luffy asked. I turned to look at him, seeing his head covering wrapped around his torso, with one arm pinned to his side.

“How did you manage this, Captain?” I asked with a laugh. “Here, let me help you.”

“Thanks Kia.”

It took a few minutes to get him untangled. “This is for your head, Captain. Did you want to leave your hat on underneath?”

“Can I? Yeah, that’s awesome!” I wrapped the cover over his hat, and around his neck, making sure any skin was covered. 

“Just don’t pull it loose, you really don’t want a sunburn on your neck. It would hurt really badly.”

“Thanks! Let’s go everyone!”

I stumbled back as Luffy shot forward, but was caught before I fell. I turned to thank Sanji, but saw him on my left. I kept turning, and saw Ace behind me, his arm holding me steady.

“Um, thanks,” I said, surprised that my face didn’t turn red. I guess I was getting more comfortable around him. I continued off the ship, glancing back as I heard him speak.

“No problem.”

* * * * *

“Good job Chopper,” I said to the doctor, and everyone chimed in to agree that without him we would have had a big problem with the dugongs.

“No thanks to Luffy,” Zoro added.

“Oh come on Zoro, it’s not Luffy’s fault.” I argued, just for the fun of it. “Usopp’s the one who jumped out first. Luffy was just… uh, helping.”

“Right,” Zoro said sarcastically. Though he did aim a glare at Usopp, who cringed. Luffy laughed, and put an arm over my shoulders. 

“Thanks for trying Kia, but it kinda was my fault.”

I grinned. “Had to try,” I said. We reached the top of the hill, and overlooked the city, half buried in sand.

“Are we at Yuba already?” Luffy asked me.

“No,” I replied. “This is Erumalu.”

“Look around everyone,” Vivi stated angrily. “This is what Baroque Works had been doing to my country!” Her face, and her voice fell in despair. “This is what my people have had to go through.”

“I thought Erumalu was the city of green?” Nami asked. “How did it get to this?” 

“The rain hasn’t fallen in over three years now,” Vivi started, as we continued to walk through town. “The people normally would use the water from the river when the rain was scarce. However, in the capital they discovered a wagon full of dance powder headed for the palace.”

I looked on through the city as we walked past, Nami explaining to everyone how dance powder worked, and Vivi telling of how the king was blamed for the lack of rain, and later discovered dance powder inside the palace, which led to cities being abandoned, and the people rebelling against the king. 

Everyone was quiet, finally realizing the depth of Vivi’s plight. She continued to cry out, and Luffy became more and more angry, finally punching a building into rubble. 

“Hope that made him feel better,” Zoro commented.

“Vivi! Let’s keep going!” Luffy shouted, striding off in front of the group, eager to get to Yuba. 

* * * * *

“Ugh, so hot…” Chopper moaned from his prone position on a makeshift sled. 

“Just take off the reindeer costume, and you’ll be fine,” Usopp said, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

“WHAT?! Are you making fun of me?” Chopper demanded, shifting to his humanoid form. 

“Ah! Monster!” 

I listened halfheartedly, as Chopper and Usopp threatened each other. Luffy led the pack, leaning heavily on a walking stick, complaining with each step. Nami, Vivi and Sanji walked along, obviously uncomfortable, but not willing to complain about it.

“Chopper, I’ll only pull you if you turn small,” Zoro said as he pushed on Chopper’s head. Chopper quickly reverted back to his brain point form, and laid back down. Just that little effort had already overheated him.

“Are you doing okay Kia?” Sanji called back to me. 

“Yeah,” I said, though I knew I was almost at my limit. “I’ll probably need a break soon though.”

“Okay, I’ll keep an eye out for a rocks so we can take a break in the shade.”

“Thanks,” I replied, my head down. I was focusing on just taking each step. I couldn’t be the weak link, and Chopper didn’t count. I had to keep going!

I didn’t hear much after that, I was blocking out everything, telling myself, _Left foot, right foot_ , over and over again just to keep going.

* * * * *

Ace slowed down yet again, and wondered if Kiana even realized that she was falling behind. It seemed Zoro had the same idea he did, because the two of them remained at the back of the group, no matter the pace the others set. 

He looked ahead as the group up front began fighting over water, with Vivi trying to break it up. He looked over at Kiana again, but she continued to plod along, her feet dragging in the sand, her head down. He could see she was waning, and he stepped forward to offer to help again. She had denied any help last time she was offered, but he’d try again, and insist he take her pack.

He said her name, and she stopped, so he came in front to face her. But he didn’t speak, as her eyes were closed, and her face was red. He was used to that, and even enjoyed flustering her a bit, but this was different. She was definitely overheated.

“She okay?” Zoro asked, coming up behind him.

“I don’t think-” he stopped as Kiana fell over, Zoro barely catching her from flopping onto the desert floor.

“Hmm, coming from a winter island like Chopper, she must not be used to the climate,” Zoro said. “Looks like we’ll need to put another sled together.”

“We’ll be stopping pretty soon for the night,” Ace said, looking at the position of the sun. “I can carry her until then.”

“You sure?” Zoro asked. “I can take her, if you’ll pull Chopper.” 

Ace wasn’t sure why, but he insisted again to Zoro that he would carry Kiana. He berated himself, looking at her, unsure of how to hold her… where to put his hands… Oh great, now he was the one with the red face.

“Oh no, is she okay?” Vivi came running up, the others not far behind.

“She’s fine, just overdid herself today,” Ace replied. “A little rest, and she’ll be good as new.”

“I can carry her,” Sanji said, and Ace didn’t like the look on his face, or the way he said it, so he refused again.

“I’ve got her, just wondering the best way to carry her.”

“Like a princess of course!” Sanji said, demonstrating with empty arms.

“No way,” Zoro chimed in, coming back up with Chopper in tow. “Her face will get sunburned. Better over your shoulder.”

While the two of them argued, Ace decided that while Sanji’s idea was the more delicate, Zoro’s plan made more sense. It would be bad if he got Kiana sunburned because of how he carried her. He hefted her up, and over his shoulder, realizing too late, where his hand ended up. He quickly moved his hand lower, across her legs, and set off again, face as red as hers.

 

* * * * *

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling extremely tired, and hot, though not as badly as before. It was dark, so obviously I had passed out. I looked around, seeing tents erected , and a fire going in front of me. I was sitting on the ground, leaning against a rock, but I had slipped down into an almost laying position, so I pushed up into an upright sitting position.

“Kia! You’re okay!” I suddenly had a lap full of Chopper, who was hugging me around the waist, and crying. 

“Oh, of course I am, silly. I guess I just needed a rest,” I looked up, and met everyone’s faces, some smiling, some still looking concerned. I wondered how much time I had lost since they had stopped for me. “Well, doctor? What’s the diagnosis?” I asked Chopper.

“Heat exhaustion,” Chopper said sniffing, as he sat up. “You should have been drinking more water, and told us when you needed a break.” Chopper switched to doctor mode, and his voice became scolding instead of sad.

“I’m sorry, we’re just so limited on supplies and time… I didn’t want to make our situation worse, and I did the exact opposite. I’m so sorry Vivi, to make you all stop for me, all the wasted time.”

“It’s okay, we didn’t have to stop,” Vivi comforted me. “But from now on, you need to take care of yourself.

“Yeah, or Ace will have to carry you again,” Nami added, a sly grin on her face. I looked over to Ace, and he gave me a tilt of his hat in my direction. It was hard to not be embarrassed when someone had carried your unconscious body for hours, but I knew I had to thank him. He had literally kept me from something I had been trying to avoid this entire time. I had been so focused on not changing things, I had almost made everything worse.

I walked over to Ace, and sat down in front of him. “Um, I’m not sure how to express it, besides thank you. It just doesn’t seem like enough.”

“It’s no problem, really.” Ace said, getting embarrassed at the fuss I was making.

“If we had had to stop because of me, and Vivi was too late, I don’t think I could have ever forgiven myself,” I said quietly. “you saved me… from something horrible, and… “ I broke off, worried I was rambling. “Just… thank you.” I stood up, meaning to go back to where I had been sitting.

“I can’t really take credit… I mean, anyone else could have carried you, in fact several were willing.”

“But they didn’t. You did.” I felt weird, but I gave a little bow, and went back to my seat where Chopper was waiting.

We all ate dinner, and I started yawning. “You should get some sleep,” Chopper told me. “Here, I’ll help keep you warm.”

“But Chopper!” I looked over to Usopp, where he and Zoro were waiting for Chopper to come back to their huddle. They looked so upset at the idea of Chopper not keeping them warm.

“It’s okay Chopper, I’ll cuddle with Vivi and Nami. You go keep the guys warm.” Chopper looked reluctant, but finally went over to the group of guys. Luffy pounced on him, and they all quickly fell asleep in a tangle of limbs.

“I can keep you ladies warm-” Sanji started, but I just pointed over to the guys’ tent, and he slunk off dejected. 

“He’ll never learn,” Nami said quietly, and we giggled as we watched Sanji try to find a place to join the huddle without being near any part of Zoro. 

“What about you Ace?” Nami asked, and I scoffed. 

“He’s made of fire Nami, he’s fine,” I answered for him. “He didn’t even break a sweat at the hottest part of the day.”

“What, really?” Nami asked him, but I kept answering, and he didn’t have a chance to do so.

“In fact, if those guys were smart, they would have cuddled up to Ace instead of Chopper,” I continued.

Ace let out a grunt at that, and said “I’m not much of a cuddler.”

“Oh, too bad…” Nami said with a smirk as she cuddled up to my side. “I was going to invite you to join us, but I guess I won’t.”

Vivi and I looked at Nami in shock, and Ace and Nami both laughed at her joke. I just cuddled up to Vivi as she sat down, Nami joining us, and the four of us quickly fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: 
> 
> Estriella: I realize it is frustrating- it seems like Kia's just sitting back when she could be making a big difference. I don't want to give plot lines away, but she won't always be like this. It takes time for some people to change, especially when they are frightened of it. For Kia, it's all still a little unreal, and if she were to mess up their lives because of something she did? Going in and changing everything would take confidence and courage, both of which she hasn't discovered in herself yet. Sorry you are not liking her, but glad that the story is invoking reactions, even if they are negative.
> 
> guest: I didn't forget, don't worry. And yes, things might seem abrupt since it's mostly from Kia's perspective. One minute the crew was coming back, next minute Ace is just there. And she was a little preoccupied with her clothes at the time. Plus this story arc is long, and I don't want to get too bogged down by the little details.


	25. Is that, a camel?

The next day started rough, with a sandstorm that woke most of us by blowing over the tents and burying us in sand. Ace tried to stay apart from the rest of the crew, but between Vivi’s kindness and Sanji’s questions, he kept getting brought back in. The sleep had helped us all immensely, and after breakfast we continued on our journey in much better spirits. 

I did much better, and since everyone agreed I wasn’t allowed to carry anything, I felt stronger too. I still wanted to do my share, so I focused on my pace, and keeping everyone happy. My first thought, was to distract them. If they didn’t focus on the heat, or being thirsty, then the journey would be easier. 

“Ugh, it’s so hot!” I heard Chopper say.

“I’m so thirsty!” Luffy said.

“Hey Luffy!” I called. “What if, you woke up this morning, and you were half man, half robot like a cyborg?”

“Huh?” Luffy said, looking back at me. “I’m not half robot Kia.”

“I know, silly. But what if you were??” 

“Huh.. If I was? That would be so cool! I’d walk like this…” Luffy showed off his robot walk, “and talk… like… this,” and demonstrated his robot voice. “It would be awesome!”

“I don’t know Luffy,” Usopp said, scratching his chin. “You probably wouldn’t be rubber if you were half robot. There’s no such thing as a rubber cyborg.”

“I’d be the first!” Luffy yelled, punching a fist up in the air.

I giggled at his enthusiasm. “What if someone else had your powers? Or if you traded powers. How different would you and Ace be if you had each others devil fruit powers?” 

“Luffy would probably set the ship on fire,” Zoro commented dryly. 

“Or burn the food, trying to get it to cook faster,” Sanji added.

This time it was Vivi and Nami that were laughing. “I don’t think I could picture Ace using Luffy’s powers,” Nami said. “That would be so strange.” 

“True,” I agreed. “But one way to think about how to beat a devil fruit user, is to think about what their powers are capable of.”

“That’s a smart way to think Kia,” Zoro said, and I smiled. Getting praise from Zoro didn’t happen often, and was always an amazing build of confidence. “Are you thinking of how to beat our captain?”

I laughed at that. “No, I just like to play What If. Thinking about how things would change if one thing was different. But, it doesn’t work for everyone. Some, like Luffy, go more on instinct once they are in the fight.” I replied.

“You sure think highly of your captain,” Ace mused, and Luffy grinned. “But I wonder how you would determine what our powers are capable of, and how to beat Luffy and me?” He asked me with a slight smile on his face.

“Well, it would take some time to think about, but… with Luffy, I’d think about freezing him somehow.”

That got strange looks from just about everyone, and I shrugged. “I would think that rubber wouldn’t work well if it was frozen, so Luffy wouldn’t be able to stretch like he normally could. But…” I continued speaking as I thought, tapping my chin, “his body heat could work to keep him stretchy… hmm. I’d have to give it some thought.”

“I guess you’d try to get me in water then, hmm?” Ace smirked at me this time.

“That would technically work for any devil fruit user, wouldn’t it?” I quipped back. “No, with you I’d lean more towards the unexpected. Using oxygen maybe, getting the fire out of your control, which would be a big distraction for you.”

Ace looked surprised. “That would definitely be unexpected,” he said seriously.

My brain was moving a mile a minute, because this was an opportunity that I hadn’t really planned on. Part of me really wanted to warn Ace about his upcoming fight with Blackbeard. After all, getting turned over to the marines is what led to his death. But… it also kept Blackbeard from continuing after Luffy, and… ugh! There were too many what ifs, and it was too dangerous. But I didn’t want Ace to die…

In that moment, I went with my heart, instead of my head.

“Or, I’d just get a devil fruit that voids all others.”

Ace stopped in his tracks and looked at me, causing Luffy and then everyone else to stop as well. They were looking at either Ace or me with curiosity, except for Zoro who looked bored, though I’ve come to learn that’s how he always looks when he is paying attention. 

“Is there really such a devil fruit, or are you still playing What If?” Ace asked, interested.

“I don’t know too much about it, but yeah there is one. The Dark-Dark fruit. From what I heard, the user draws in everything into their darkness, basically making it so that the other devil fruit user can’t access their powers,” I said, then turned forward and started walking again. “That’s another reason why it’s smart to know how to fight without relying on your devil fruit powers, like you and Luffy can.”

Luffy and Ace both grinned at me, and I smiled back. They truly looked like brothers in that moment.

I couldn’t tell if Ace was just interested in the idea, if he had heard of the Dark- Dark fruit before, or if he even knew that it was the fruit Blackbeard had been waiting for. As much as I didn’t want to affect the Straw Hat’s journey, or change something that could end in catastrophe, _this was Ace._ I couldn’t just tell him about it straight out, there would be far too many questions, but… I couldn’t do nothing either. I could perhaps end up regretting it later if I somehow made things worse, but I knew I would regret it if I didn’t try something. It may not be much, but it could have dire consequences. 

I also realized in that moment, that while I wasn’t ready to make huge changes, there were small things that I could do to make life a little easier for the crew. I decided to start there, and see how things went.

“Hey Sanji, let’s eat some of your box lunches,” Luffy said, breaking the silence. 

“No. Not until Vivi says it’s okay,” Sanji replied.

Luffy turned his grin to Vivi. “Come on Vivi, let’s have lunch!”

“But Luffy,” Vivi said, her conviction wavering under his enthusiasm. “We’re not even a tenth of the way to Yuba yet…”

“Vivi, haven’t you ever heard the proverb? Whenever you are hungry, you must eat!”

“Is that true?” Chopper asked Zoro, who shook his head and sighed. 

“No,” Usopp grumbled. “The big liar just makes stuff like that up!” Chopper nodded, as though he wasn’t surprised.

“How about we stop for lunch at the next rocks we find?” Vivi suggested. “That way we can rest in the shade?”

“Yeah! Let’s find rocks, “Luffy cheered. “Okay! Whoever wins at rock, paper, scissors gets to carry everybody’s stuff!”

“Don’t you mean whoever loses carries the stuff?” Sanji asked.

“Ready??” 

“Oh hey, Usopp!” I interrupted. “I bet I can find rocks before you can!” 

“What?” Usopp stared at me in disbelief. “I have sniper goggles Kia, there’s no way you’ll win.”

“I guess we’ll find out!” I said and started walking quickly ahead, hoping the distraction worked.

“Hey, wait for me Kia! I’ll find the rocks!” Luffy called.

“Great! You’ll be on my team then!” I yelled back, waving him forward.

“What? No fair teaming up!” Usopp called, running to catch us. The others glanced around at each other, not sure what had gotten into me, but finally shrugged and continued on.

 

* * * * *

 

The distraction didn’t last long, and pretty soon Luffy and Usopp were panting loudly and complaining about everything. The heat, being thirsty, the inability to sweat, being hungry… I was getting as annoyed as everyone else. I was just really glad that Luffy didn’t have everyone’s packs.

After a couple of hours we saw what looked like rocks, but were certain it was a mirage- we had seen countless “rocks” before. But after looking through his goggles, Usopp declared that these were real, and Luffy whooped and took off running. Vivi and I smiled at each other, and everyone continued to trudge through the sand after him. 

It wasn’t long before Luffy came running back yelling for Chopper’s help with a flock of injured birds. Chopper immediately forgot his own discomfort and grabbing his backpack, went with Luffy to help. Vivi looked stricken, and started chasing after them, and we all followed in a rush.

“There were birds here, I swear!” Luffy shouted as he ran around looking for them.

“I’m so sorry Luffy, but those birds, were desert bandits,” Vivi managed to get out as she leaned over, panting.

“Wait, they were faking?! Just to steal from us?” Hearing the indignation in Usopp’s voice made me smile at the irony, though I was sure he wouldn’t appreciate the thought.

“Well, the good news is they didn’t get all of our supplies,” Sanji said, looking through his pack. “The bad news is that our _captain_ was carrying most of our water.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault!” Luffy complained, “they outsmarted me.”

“So… you’re dumber than a bird?” Sanji asked dryly.

“What’d you say?” Luffy growled, ready to fight.

“All right you two, knock it off,” Zoro jumped in. “Everyone’s a little heated, but it could have been worse.” He walked over to sit in the shade. “We’ll figure something out, don’t worry.” We all followed his example to take a break except for Luffy, who had spotted a bird and ran off after it.

Usopp and Nami yelled after him, but most of us just shook our heads. “Don’t worry so much,” Zoro said to Usopp. “Luffy can take care of himself.”

Sanji started passing out lunch rations, and although there wasn’t much water, he still gave us all a little. We sat in relative quiet as we ate and simply rested. The shade was much better than out in the sun, but it was still very hot. We continued to wait for Luffy after we had finished eating, and Nami started to wonder out loud if he had gotten lost, with 

Sanji and Zoro making disparaging comments as well.

“I’m sorry.”

We all looked over at Ace. He had remained quiet through all of this, and it was easy to wonder what he was thinking about us- his brother’s crew.

“I know my brother can be a flake, and I’m sorry.”

Nami and Vivi waved his apology away, but I wanted to assure him a little more. “Sorry? Luffy’s great! Sure, sometimes he does dumb stuff, but he makes up for it. And who here doesn’t do dumb stuff?” I asked with a smile. Sanji and Zoro gave small smiles as they stood and headed out to look for him. 

“I’m glad he has all of you,” Ace said. 

“Seriously,” Nami said quietly, but still loud enough for us all to hear. “How are these two brothers?”

No one got to reply as the ground began shaking, and a huge cloud of dust shot into the air, and then came right towards us. 

“What is that?”

“It’s Luffy!”

“Why is he on a camel!?”

“AAAHH! What’s that chasing him??”

“I gotta admit, that boy does have a knack for attracting trouble,” Ace said with a smile. I looked over at him, realizing that the two of us were the only ones still sitting. We both turned as we heard Sanji and Zoro call out to Luffy, and the three of them attacked the huge Sandoran dragon that had been trying to eat Luffy, at the same time. I was grinning as it fell, and Vivi, Nami, Chopper and Usopp were standing there, stunned.

“Every time those guys fight… I end up feeling sorry for the monster,” Nami said.

I turned back to Ace. “Didn’t feel like joining in?” I asked jokingly.

“Didn’t want to spoil their fun,” he replied with a smile.

The ground rumbled behind us, and Chopper yelled my name. 

“Sorry! I forgot to mention that Sandoran dragons always hunt in pairs!” Vivi shouted, with Usopp shouting back, “You’ve got to start remembering these things sooner!!”

I looked at Ace and said, “your turn.”

He gave me a grin, then looked up at the dragon. “Wanna play?” It roared at him, and he answered, “okay, if you want to.” And he jumped straight up in the air, the dragon’s jaws closing around him easily.

I understood why the other four were screaming, these dragons were as big as houses, and could easily eat us all in one gulp. But one thing about logia devil fruit users, they were literally made of their respective element. That dragon had just swallowed a fire ball, and didn’t even know it.

I watched as flames literally shot out of the dragon’s face. It’s nose, mouth, even its eyes… eww. Its body became a tower of flame, with Ace jumping out from the top, solidifying again, and landing back almost where he had been standing previously. The cooked dragon fell over, dead.

We waited as Luffy ate as much as he could, and Sanji took some of the already cooked dragon- jerky to add to our food supply. 

“Uh, Luffy?” Zoro asked suddenly, and Luffy looked up. “What’s the deal with the camel?”

“I dunno. I saved it from a mystery plant that was trying to eat it, and then the monster showed up, and we came here.”

“He doesn’t look wild,” Nami added. “He’s wearing a saddle and bridle.”

“Hey, it is you!” Chopper said excitedly. He turned back to us. “He helped me get back to Sanji when I escaped from Katorea.” I grinned as Chopper’s voice changed as he interpreted the camel’s grumbles for us. 

“I thank you for your help, and I’d be happy to give some of you a ride, but I’m afraid I don’t take male passengers, I’m just too macho.” I could have sworn I saw the camel wink in our direction, and in trying not to laugh, I let out a loud snort.

I could hear Ace laugh, even as the other guys were yelling at and even punching or kicking the camel, though not hard enough to really hurt it. Nami looked thrilled, and Vivi was doing a much better job of keeping her laughter in, but I was laughing so hard it was making my stomach hurt.

“Ki-ah!” Luffy said in a whine. “It’s not funny! I want to ride the camel too.”

The boys stormed away from the source of their newest frustration, and Nami swooped in, petting the camel’s face and determining that we would call him Eyelash. Vivi and I argued over who should ride with her, in that both of us wanted to stay on the ground. She finally relented, once I promised I would tell her when I needed a break, and Ace butted in and said he would tell her even if I didn’t. I turned and gave him a glare, to which he only tilted his hat, as if I had thanked him.

Nami then yelled, “Giddy-up Eyelash!” and they took off at a run. “Better hurry guys! If you get separated you’ll die in the desert!”

The guys all ran around grabbing their packs, Zoro giving orders, Sanji swooning over Nami’s “cruel side” and Ace yelling “After them!” We all started running after them, and somehow they all yelled in unison without trying. 

“WAIT FOR US!!!”


	26. The Fake Rebels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously...
> 
> Kia took a chance, and spoke to Ace in a round about way about Blackbeard's devil fruit. She then experimented in making small changes to the story she knew, by keeping Luffy from carrying all of the groups' supplies. While he still gets his pack hijacked by desert bandit birds, the pirates don't lose everything, giving Kia a little more confidence in "helping" in the future. Luffy manages to still run into the camel, whom Nami names Eyelash, and Nami and Vivi head out, leaving the others to hurry and catch up.

I had no idea how long we had been walking, and at this point, all I could do was trudge after the person in front of me. My energy was gone, and I could only keep an eye on their boots to follow after, not that there was much to see around us anyway. It seemed I wasn’t the only one either, as Luffy and Usopp had finally stopped complaining. We just walked on in silence, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.

The pair of boots in front of me stopped, so I did too, and I swayed back and forth a bit, ready to drop.

“Luffy. Do you… see Nami anywhere?” I heard, so I raised my head, and came face to face with Ace. He looked around me, and then looked left and right. “What the-??” He yelled.

“Ugh” I sighed. “What is it?” 

“Where is everyone?”

“What?” I asked, confused. 

He looked at me as if I was speaking another language. “Where. Are. The. Others?” He asked slowly.

That gave me a jolt of energy, and I looked around myself. “I thought we were all in a line, I was just following the person in front of me!” I said, looking down. I pointed accusingly at his boots. “You!” I cried. “I was following you! Who were you following?”

“Uh… “ He looked sheepish, and I could easily see that he had wandered off from the others.

“Ay-ace!” I whined, throwing my head in my hands. I took a few deep breaths, then pinching the bridge of my nose, looked back where we had come from. “Okay, so then we need to decide if we are going to backtrack, or keep going and try to meet up with them in Yuba.”

Ace glanced back at our tracks as well, then forward. “I’d prefer to keep moving forward, but if you’d rather go back, I’ll go with you,” he said to me.

I thought about it for a minute before finally coming to a conclusion. “Let’s keep going then,” I replied. “More than likely the wind will obscure their tracks and we’ll be wandering anyway.”

We continued walking, side by side this time, though I let Ace determine our direction. I had gotten my second wind, though I wasn’t sure how long it would last. We had been walking for only a few minutes when Ace stopped and looked around.

“Strange…” 

“What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing. Just thought I heard something.”

“All right,” I said and I kept walking. Right at that moment, the sand in front of me became like a mountain, as a large shape rose, sand falling down all around it, and revealed a gigantic scorpion, whose tail came above its head to point right at me. I let out a yelp, and scurried behind Ace, grabbing the back of his outerwear.

“You’re asking for it,” he said, his voice sounding weary instead of worried. I peeked my face out from his back, and he turned to speak to me, but was still looking at the monstrous creature. “Kiana, you should step back.”

I did as he said, and retreated several steps away, watching in awe as he became a man of fire. It took only moments before the scorpion fell on its belly, it’s exoskeleton once looking like the sand around us, now a bright pink color, with steam rising up from it.

Ace landed a dozen steps in front of me, and turning, called out, “let’s keep going!” so I hustled to catch up. As he turned back around he found a lizard as big as he was, standing on its hind legs right in front of him. I watched as he stepped to the right, and the lizard copying him, as if they were each others mirror. Ace stepped back to left, then right again, each time the lizard moving with him. Ace tried to confuse it by taking a double step left, only to have his “mirror image” do the same.

The strange part, was that the lizard didn’t even look like it was looking at Ace, and I started giggling. It was like a gag that they had planned, it was so perfectly done. As I came nearer, I could see that Ace was getting frustrated, so I said, “it’s not a good idea to get in his way! Just look at the last one who did!” pointing to the still steaming carcass of the scorpion. I wouldn’t have thought the lizard could see it, but it turned its head, and then looked like it wanted to cry, but still hadn’t moved.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Ace said. “Give us a ride to the nearest town, and I’ll forget this ever happened.”

“Wow, Ace, that’s harsh,” I commented.

“What? How?” He asked, looking perplexed.

“You basically are blackmailing it into giving us a ride.”

I can only describe his look to me as, “are you serious right now?”

I stepped around him, and asked sweetly, “Mr. Lizard? Would it be possible for you to give us a ride? We’re a little lost.”

The lizard looked between us, then giving some sort of shrug, it lowered down to all four legs. We looked at each other, and shrugging ourselves, climbed on top its back.

Ace gave me a sideways look. “So… do you really think asking it made such a difference?” 

I started laughing. “Nope. It looks like it didn’t really care one way or the other.”

“Maybe we should call out for the others. I’d hate to pass close by and miss them,” he said. 

I nodded and turned my head, “Nami! Vivi!!” I shouted.

“Luffy!! Where are you?!”

We called out, about every ten minutes or so, but never heard anything in return. After a couple of hours, we came upon a city, seeing it’s huge walls from far away.

“Woo-hoo!” Ace called. “A city! I can’t wait to eat!” The lizard must have picked up on his excitement, or maybe it was scared, but either way, it suddenly picked up speed, and I held on tighter to Ace as we rode, getting tossed back and forth as the lizard ran. The lizard ran right in the gate, and headed up into a building. I had no idea if Ace was leading it, or if it just smelled food… it was so bizarre. It ran straight up the stairs, and right into the room where a huge table was spread with food. Ace climbed off, and then lifted me off the lizard, and headed straight for the table. I watched as the lizard stood back up on its hind legs and just… stood there. 

I looked back at Ace, he was already seated at the table, with a plate full in front of him. He had shed his outerwear, and taken off his hat, so it hung from his neck behind him. And, he was stuffing his face, very quickly. I gave a small wince, wondering how he could swallow such huge mouthfuls so quickly, but decided not to think about it too much. I walked over and sat to his right, fixing myself a plate, and gesturing with my head towards the four men who were arguing with each other. This was obviously their table. Ace just gave me a wink, so I decided not to worry. He could handle pretty much anything in this desert that came along, creature or human.

We ate quietly, listening as the man in charge explained that they couldn’t face pirates, and they needed to leave in order to stay alive. They could always find another village that would fall for their ruse. I saw Ace’s eyes narrow, just as the men spotted the lizard standing in their way.

“You lot make me so sick, I’m about to lose my lunch,” Ace said, talking with his mouth full.

I smirked, and gave Ace a look as he continued to eat heartily. He smirked back at me, then turned to glare at the men. 

“It’s pretty despicable, what you’re doing,” I added, wanting to feel apart of things. “Not that it’s any of our business.”

The tallest man glared at me, pushing up his sleeves in a sort of threat. “It IS none of your business!”

“Yeah! You dirty food thieves!!” the shortest man added, and the men minus the leader moved to fight Ace.

I could only think, “oh my…” as Ace took them down in three hits, then sat back down and continued eating. He seemed to enjoy the look on my face, and I quickly shut my gaping mouth, trying to keep from blushing. The man had muscles for days…. and fighting shirtless, no matter how long it lasted, was quite a show.

Their leader looked between Ace and his friends several times, before kneeling down next to Ace and begging for his help.

“Please, we stand no chance against sand pirates, unless we had the help of someone strong, like you! You must rescue us, please!”

“Meh.” Ace didn’t even glance at the man, and I was slightly taken aback. It seemed so out of character. “I’m not against the idea, but there are conditions.” 

_I should have known,_ I thought.

“Anything you want!!”

I finished eating as the man packed up several bags of food and got a barrel of water, and placing it all on a sled for Ace. Afterwards, both Ace and I tried to get the lizard to return to all fours, but it just ignored each attempt. Ace suggested that I simply ride the sled, but I refused. Sand would literally get everywhere, and I didn’t want to ride in a sack to stay sand- free.

“Go ahead, I’ll wait here,” I told Ace, though he looked at me skeptically. “I’m sure if you find them, they’ll need to restock on supplies, so you’ll come back anyway.”

“What do you think all this is?” He asked, gesturing to the sled filled with food. 

I laughed. “Luffy will probably eat all that in one go, and then ask for more.” I replied, which had Ace grinning. 

“I can’t argue with that,” he said as he pulled his outerwear back on. “You sure about this?” He asked, looking at the “rebel army”- the four men that he was saving.

“Yep, I’m fine. I’m sure these men wouldn’t let anything happen to a friend of yours…”

“No sir!” They all called, “she’s safe with us!”

“Okay then,” Ace said, and the lizard took off, with Ace riding up on its shoulders.

I waved goodbye even though he didn’t turn back, and then looked back at the four men. “Well guys?” I asked. “Do you have any dessert?” 

* * * * *

“Hey! Luffy!”

“Ace! Ha ha ha! Where have you been?”

Ace jumped down from the lizard’s shoulders and pointed to the cargo in his sled. “You guys want food and water? I’ve brought plenty of both, dig in!”

“That’s awfully nice of you,” Sanji commented as he walked over to inspect the supplies.

“Ace is incredible,” Usopp said.

“I know! He’s kind and thoughtful!” Nami replied, then scowled. “Not like someone else we know.”

“That’s for sure,” Usopp muttered.

Chopper made his way to Ace, and pulled on his cover up. “Uh, Ace?”

Ace glanced down. “Yes Chopper?

“We were hoping Kia was with you… you both disappeared at the same time… “ he trailed off, tears forming in his eyes, and Ace found himself keeping a straight face so as not to smile at how cute he looked.

“She was with me, yes. She didn’t want to ride on the sled, so she stayed at the city with the rebels.”

All the others’ eyes went wide. “Rebels?!” they yelled at Ace, completely shocked.

“I guess I shouldn’t say rebels…” Ace mused, not reacting to their shouts. “More like fake rebel soldiers. The men pose as rebel soldiers to get hired by the village. And they are so grateful to have protection, they give them anything they could possibly need.”

“Wait,” Vivi said, as she realized what Ace was saying. “These men are only pretending to protect the town?”

“Well…” Ace drawled, trying to brush over what they were doing, knowing that the crew didn’t have time to help the town protect themselves. Their current mode of protection was working after all. “I knew you all wanted to keep moving, and it seems to be working for everyone….”

“You want us to go in and take care of them, Vivi?” Sanji asked calmly.

“Well, they shouldn’t be impersonating rebel soldiers, however…” 

“If you’re going to trick them,” Ace commented, “might I point out that that is what the other men are doing? At least with the way things are, they are all living in peace with each other.”

“Don’t stick up for them!” Sanji sneered with a glare at Ace.

“I’m not, I’m just sharing my thoughts. Vivi can do whatever she wants.”

“It’s obvious that we can’t protect them, but I can’t just leave without knowing if the fake rebels will protect them when it matters.”

Sanji’s eyebrow rose. “You want us to see if they have hearts of gold?” 

Vivi nodded. “Yes, a test.”

Everyone nodded, and gathered their belongings, packing up the supplies that Ace had brought. Chopper, feeling stronger after drinking the water, walked as well. “But,” he asked, “how are we going to get Kia back?” 

“Don’t worry Chopper,” Zoro replied. “She probably misses us so much, she’ll run out to meet us.”

“Really?!”

“Now things are finally getting interesting!” Luffy exclaimed. “We’ll find those fake rebels, and beat them up, and free Kia!”

“No Luffy!” Nami yelled, hitting him on the back of the head. “That’s not what we’re doing at all!!”

 

* * * * *

 

Over then next hour I watched as the four “rebels” went from hopeful to despairing, and at first I tried to keep their spirits high, but eventually I just went quiet while they argued with each other. I must have fallen asleep, because my eyes flew open as I was shaken roughly.

“Wassit?” I slurred as I jerked awake.

Their leader, whose name was Camu, was standing over me, looking visibly upset. “We’re not waiting any longer. You can stay here if you want, but we’re leaving.”

I glanced at the other three. They weren’t carrying much, but were obviously ready to leave. I gave a big yawn, and stretched my arms over my head, then stood up. “Okay, I’ll come too.”

“What!?” the other three shouted.

“What’re you saying? Why would you want to come with us?” Camu asked incredulously.

“Huh?” I said eloquently. “I’m not going with you. I just don’t want to be here when the citizens find out you left. They’ll ask all sorts of awkward questions…”

Camu gave a deadpan face, and muttered, “yeah, whatever.”

I walked out with them, acting as if I belonged. The townspeople gave me no notice, seeming too excited to see their gallant protectors in action against the dreaded pirates. As we walked towards the front gates, I could hear the others questioning Camu, and calling him “Big bro” which reminded me of Yosaku and Johnny, and had me wishing I could have met them, they seemed fun.

The townspeople cheered as we made it to the gates, and I butted into the huddle of the rebels I was with, hearing their ingenious plan to run away from the pirates as soon as they made it through the gates. Camu gave a count of three, and pushed the gate open, and straight ahead of us, I saw Luffy, his head slightly down, so that we couldn’t see his eyes.

They turned to their right, but stopped immediately upon seeing Sanji and Usopp, and I almost laughed at the scary look Usopp was trying to pull off. Turning to their left met with a similar problem, with Zoro and Chopper blocking the way, with Chopper in his large human form, or heavy point as he calls it.

The townspeople continued to cheer us on, and I giggled, at the looks on the rebels faces, they all looked like they were marching to their deaths, and I’m sure they really thought they were.

Luffy continued to egg them on, and we suddenly heard, “Hey boys, sorry, but you’ll have to try to muscle through this fight on your own.” 

They looked around but didn’t think to look behind us where Ace was standing. I glanced over my shoulder to see him leaning against the wall, a big smirk plastered on his face.

“C’mon Ace, you know we can’t handle this by ourselves…” Camu said just loud enough for Ace to hear. “We’re totally faking it!”

“You’re pretending to be soldiers. If you can’t do that, might I suggest to act like men.”

“Yeah guys,” I added softly. “Fake it till you make it, as we say back home.”

I could see the wheels turning, and then he turned back to Luffy and shouted, “Bring it on! But be warned, we aren’t the only rebel soldiers here, there are … ONE HUNDRED MILLION MORE LIKE US!!!!”

It was apparent that no one believed him, but then Luffy shouted back, “HUN…DRED….MILLION?!?”

Usopp quickly squashed it as a lie, which had both Luffy and Chopper sighing in relief, and had me giggling again. But Luffy was upset at being tricked, and he reared back to land a punch. It happened more quickly than I could think, and I tried to move out of the way. Something grabbed my arm, and I could feel the air as Camu was rocketed back into the town, just barely missing taking me with him. I was pulled and turned and found myself with my back against the wall in the archway of the gate, with Ace pushed up against me, his hand still grasping my wrist.

“Kiana? Are you all right?” His low, husky voice asked.

I looked up, right into Ace’s dark eyes, noticing his hat had fallen off, and his hair was hanging down slightly into his face. I don’t think I could have spoken even if I had thought of something to say, and we just stared at each other. 

I heard Luffy laugh, and it broke whatever was between us, as I turned my head to look outside the gate. Luffy was on the ground laughing, and I could hear shouts from the others about retreating, and the stupid rebel soldiers ruining their fun.

Before I could get my wits about me, Ace, still gripping my wrist pulled me forward as he took off running. We went a different direction out of town to avoid the people, but soon found ourselves outside and on a course to intercept the others. As we met up with them, I yelled, “Can…we…stop…run…ing…now??” panting from the effort.

“Kia!!!” Luffy reached out for me, trying to stop as he did, which tripped both Ace and Usopp, all of them sprawling on the ground. Eyelash and Zoro, each carrying passengers- because Chopper was riding on Zoro’s shoulders, now in his smaller regular form- both jumped over the mess, and Sanji stopped just before he would trip as well. I skidded to a stop and resting my hands on my knees tried to get my breath back.

“Kia my dear!” Sanji cooed and rushed forward to give me a hug, but he was thwarted as Chopper had beaten him there, pulling me down to hug me around my neck. Sanji’s momentum had him falling over the top of us, and landing face first in the sand, which seemed to please Zoro immensely.

“Kia! I missed you! Did you miss us? Zoro said you would come running out to us, but you didn’t.” Chopper’s face ended in a sad frown, and I couldn’t help but smile. 

“I did! I missed you so much! And I almost ran out, but I didn’t want to interrupt your acting!” 

“I was pretty amazing, wasn’t I?” Usopp congratulated himself.

“Hey, me too, huh Kia?” Luffy asked with a grin, still seated on the sand.

“Yes Captain, you were all great,” I said. “Zoro especially was able to look so natural standing there with a mean look…” 

“Yeah yeah,” Zoro muttered as everyone else laughed.

“Now that we’re all back together, let’s….go!” Luffy yelled as he threw his arms up.


	27. Mmm... desert lobster!

We continued on to Yuba, stopping periodically. I found it as no surprise that while everyone had been smart in conserving water, Luffy had eaten most of the food supplies. Sanji, naturally, had stashed food away in his own pack, and had protected it from Luffy’s grasp. However splitting it between all of us, meant small meals which could never satisfy our captain.

Vivi spent most of the time telling us stories of when she was younger, how she had met Koza, and the rest of her friends in the sand-sand clan. We filed behind the camel, listening as well, when something popped out of the sand near Luffy. 

“Hey, what is that?” Luffy asked, running over to it. “It looks like a tail!” He picked up a nearby stick and started poking it.

“That can’t be good.. “ Usopp murmured. Sure enough, moments later, the sand moved again to show Luffy standing on top of a huge scorpion. Usopp immediately began screaming and running in circles. Ace pushed me behind him, with a terse, “Stay back Kiana.”

I shrugged, “I’m not going to fight it, the boys have it under control.”

Ace looked over as Chopper transformed into heavy point, and he, Sanji and Zoro ran over to help Luffy defeat the scorpion. Ace stood there grinning as we watched them kill it. 

“Sanji! Can we eat it?” Luffy asked, drooling. “I’m starving!”

“I think so,” Sanji replied. “It’s looks somewhat like a lobster…”

“Yeah!” Luffy cheered. 

“Hey you guys,” I called. “Stand back and let Ace cook it. It’ll be faster!” Ace gave me a look and a shrug, and walked over to the dead scorpion. Without any sort of effort, he cooked the scorpion in its shell, then walked back.

“Thanks Ace!” Luffy called. “Zoro! Slice it up!”

“No Luffy,” Sanji said. “You eat lobster by cracking open the shell.”

“Awesome!” he replied and grabbing the scorpion, started pulling off its shell and eating the meat inside. The other guys quickly joined in, though not so messily. Ace grabbed a claw, breaking it open and offering me some. I didn’t think I’d like it, but wanted to at least be able to say I tried it. 

“Ugh, that most definitely does not taste like chicken.” I refused any more, and Ace shrugged and finished it.

“Of course it’s not chicken, Kia! It’s desert lobster!”

“Luffy, take it easy!” Sanji yelled. “We need to take some to Nami and Vivi!” He ripped the final claw out of Luffy’s hand, and ran over to the other girls. Luffy fell forward, resting on the shell.

“Nami! Vivi! I saved you the best part!” Sanji held out his offering, and both girls screamed. 

“You guys are a bunch of inconsiderate jerks!!” Nami yelled to the rest of us. “Come on Eyelash!” and with a whip of the reigns, they took off.

“Nami is gorgeous even when she yells at me,” Sanji said wistfully.

“Whoa,” Luffy said. “Why is she so angry?”

The other guys looked so confused that I started laughing, and laughed harder when Ace looked at me confusingly. 

“I dunno,” the other boys answered Luffy, and he looked at me in question, prompting the others to look to me as well. I didn’t have the heart to hurt Sanji’s feelings by explaining, so I thought for a moment, then answered.

“Uh, Nami… must not like desert lobster.”

“Oh!” Luffy said and the others all nodded at my wisdom. Then they all stood up and we trailed after Nami and Vivi.

We continued throughout the evening before camping among a tall group of rocks. We slept in peace, and awoke in good spirits. Sanji made breakfast, showing Nami, Vivi and I, a flat rock to sit on. Ace gathered his breakfast, and jumped up the top of a tall rock to sit alone. He took off his robe again, sitting shirtless in the shade. Nami elbowed me in the side, and gave me a wink as she gestured up to where he was sitting. I quickly shook my head, my cheeks going pink. Nami giggled, and I shushed her as Sanji brought our breakfast over.

“Vivi my dear, Nami my love, Kia my heart,” Sanji said to each of us as he handed us our food. 

“Thank you Sanji,” we said in unison.

“My pleasure!” he cooed. Turning to the fire, he made a portion for each of the boys, yelling at Luffy to sit down and eat. Usopp and Luffy ate quickly- Luffy because that was just how he eats, and Usopp, in order to avoid having his food stolen. 

“Is that all?” Usopp complained.

“Yeah! Seconds! Seconds!” Luffy chanted, banging his spoon on his plate.

“Don’t be greedy!” Sanji yelled back.

“C’mon Sanji! I’m still hungry,” Usopp whined, Sanji responding with a kick to the face while Luffy reached over to steal some from Zoro’s plate.

“Hey! Luffy!!” Zoro yelled, standing up to fight.

The three of us sighed as we watched the boys fighting. “Why do they act like this at every meal?” Vivi asked.

“Just don’t make eye contact,” Nami groused.

“It’s like they enjoy fighting with each other…” I sighed. 

“Look at Ace,” Nami said, with another wink at me. “He is so calm and orderly, he cleans his fork and plate after every meal. He gives me hope for his gender after all.”

“Yeah,” I answered on a sigh, then realizing they were smiling at me, I straightened up. “I mean, he really doesn’t seem like the wanted criminal type, does he?”

“No,” Nami answered. “But pirates the world over fear the name Fire-fist Ace, of the Whitebeard pirates.”

“If Ace is imposing enough to scare his peers, then this Blackbeard he’s chasing must be just as terrifying,” Vivi said. 

“He is,” I said. “If Ace isn’t careful, he’ll not only get his fight with Blackbeard, he’ll lose it. Blackbeard has his whole crew with him. They destroyed Drum kingdom after all, just the five of them.” 

“Oh, Kia, I’m so sorry to have brought it up, I completely forgot.” Vivi looked stricken, and I waved it away. 

“It’s okay Vivi, I know you didn’t mean anything by it.” I looked back up at Ace, who was deep in thought. “Ace lost a friend to Blackbeard, there’s nothing we could say or do to stop him from chasing Blackbeard down.”

We continued eating quietly, and my thoughts returned to Ace. He was exactly as I always pictured. Cute, funny, thoughtful… and yet he was so much more. I really needed to quit thinking about him, but I had been so sure he was going to kiss me under that gateway in the last town, and here I was, still dwelling on the disappointment. I shook my head, trying to clear it.

After eating, Nami took matters into her own hands and stopped the boys’ fight with her fists. She quickly organized them to complete the packing so we could head out. Ace jumped down, ready to go, just as Luffy started yelling about floating meat.

I followed after Luffy, and Nami and Usopp followed after Ace, as he went around to surprise our guests. We could hear them speaking and I put my finger to my lips in a gesture of quiet to Luffy. I climbed up the rock, and looked down, seeing two young boys finishing the meat they had taken from us. They looked dirty and hungry, and I immediately felt sorry for them.

“It smells good, are you enjoying it?” 

I looked up as the boys did, seeing Ace with a serious expression on his face. _Was he trying to intimidate the kids?_

“Stay back!” The older boy said, as he protected the younger one. Ace continued to look down at them, and the older boy pulled out a gun that was practically bigger than he could hold. “You move a muscle and you’re dead!”

“Um, Dip, do you know how to shoot a gun?” the younger boy whispered. 

“No… but I have to,” Dip whispered back.

Then Ace smirked and gave a laugh that sounded anything but genuine. “As a general rule, I’m not fond of people pointing guns in my face.”

Dip trembled as he pulled back the trigger, falling over when the gun went off. Ace threw a small rock, hitting the bullet as it flew his direction, and I felt my mouth drop open.

“Never draw a gun unless you can hit your mark, kid.”

“Holy crap, he hit the bullet back with a rock!” Dip cried.

“Please don’t hurt us!” the younger boy shouted, holding tightly to Dip.

“Luffy, we should help them,” I said quietly. When I didn’t get a response, I looked around to find that Luffy was gone. I shook my head and jumped down in front of the boys.

“Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you,” I said softly to them. I then turned around and gave Ace a dirty look. “Why are you acting like a jerk?!” I demanded.

“What? Me? They pointed a gun at me!” He retorted.

“Because you snuck up on them!” 

“I didn’t sneak, they just didn’t hear me!”

“Yeah, right! They’re kids, Ace! You should apologize!”

“Uh, what’s going on?” Usopp asked as he and Nami came up behind Ace. 

“Ace was going to apologize to Dip and… “ I trailed off looking behind me in question. 

“I’m Chip,” the younger boy said shyly. “Thank you for helping us.”

“No problem!” I said with a grin, then turned back to Ace giving him a pointed look. He crossed his arms in defiance, obviously not going to apologize. I turned back to the boys, crouching down to look at them face to face. “I’m sorry about my friend, he’s not a bad guy,” I dropped my voice to whisper, _“but he has to look tough to keep his scary reputation.”_

Dip looked shocked, and leaned to the side to look at Ace from around me, while Chip giggled.

“Hey! What did you just say to them?” Ace demanded.

“Nooothing!” I sang back, giving the boys a wink. Chip smiled back at me, and Dip darted around me to run up to Ace.

“Please sir, I need you to find this man!” he said desperately, holding out a photo. “I’ll pay you anything… I’ll pay you… a million berries!”

“A million berries?” Nami asked, unconvinced.

“I can’t pay you now, but I will when I grow up,” Dip looked back up at Ace. “I promise!”

“Who is he?” I asked Chip quietly.

“Our father…” Chip replied hesitantly. “He left to accomplish his dream, but I just want him back.”

“I’m sure we’ll find him, or he’ll find us,” I said, ruffling his hair. “Don’t worry.”

I had hardly finished speaking, when two men on an ostrich came riding in, yelling for Ace. The first man was the boys’ father, going by the name Scorpion, and trying to capture Ace to fulfill his dream of being a bounty hunter. The second, was Luffy. I have no idea how he found himself with Scorpion, but he seemed to enjoy the idea of the older man fighting with Ace.

Ace on the other hand, surprised me. He didn’t question Scorpion’s intent, or mock his obvious disadvantages. In fact, he seemed to respect him for trying his best, even when he couldn’t win. Ace didn’t hold back, but he didn’t aim to hurt the man either. He just did what he needed to in order to win, while letting the Scorpion keep his dignity. After their story came out, and the boys discovered that their dad just wanted to teach them to never give up on their own dreams, we said our goodbyes to Scorpion, Dip and Chip. Ace then told us he wouldn’t find information about Blackbeard here in Alabasta, and he would be leaving. We were all sad to see him go, but knew it had been a temporary situation all along.

Ace gathered his things, and came forward with a piece of paper in his hands. He held it out to Luffy with a “here, Luffy”.

Luffy looked at each side, “it’s just a piece of paper?” he said, as if expecting something better.

“That paper will reunite us one day,” Ace replied. 

I gave a small smile, wondering if anything would have been different if Luffy had been given a better explanation than that. Then Ace reached forward, and snatched the paper from Luffy’s hand. “You don’t want it?” he asked, teasingly.

“No, I do,” Luffy responded, reaching for it. 

Ace grabbed it with both hands, and tore it down the middle. He handed one half to Luffy, and offered the other half to me. I looked down at it in shock, unsure what was happening. 

“Uh, can’t hurt to have an extra, right?” Ace muttered, reaching forward for my hand, and placing the vivre card in my palm, closing my fingers around it. I could hear the others looking at Luffy’s half, and Nami offering to sew it onto the ribbon of his hat for safe keeping, but I just continued to look at Ace, trying to understand his motivations for doing this. _Did he want us to be reunited as well??_

I didn’t have the courage to ask, but I could feel my face heating as I thought of the possibility. Looking down at my hand, I turned the paper each direction, examining each side. I held it flat in my palm, watching as it moved to the side of my hand. “Thank you,” I finally said, lifting my head back up, and finding nothing. I looked all around, just in time for someone to ask, “Where’s Ace?” 

Luffy called out as he started walking, “Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll see him again! Now come on, we’ve got to get to Yuba!”

We started walking again, and I looked at the vivre card again, wondering where I could stash it for safe keeping. Tucking it in my bra seemed the safest, but somewhat creepy. I finally decided to borrow Nami’s sewing supplies and follow her advice for Luffy.

“Hmm, so that paper will reunite you one day?” Nami said slyly, as she and Vivi, riding on Eyelash fell back beside me. I looked up, realizing the boys were in the lead, and we were bringing up the rear. Nami was keeping Eyelash from moving too fast, so that we could have some measure of privacy.

“I guess so. Or, he figured Luffy might lose the other one,” I answered.

“It’s hard to believe something so simple could actually reunite people,” Vivi said.

“It’s special paper,” I replied.

“You know what it is?” Nami asked in surprise, and Vivi’s eyebrows rose as well.

“I think so,” I answered. “Though I have never seen one before.” I tucked it in my pocket, and I walked a little faster, not wanting to get into it now. “Ask me later, okay?” I said, then called out for Chopper to wait for me. I needed to not think about all of this right now, as the other girls were far too good at seeing through me.

 

* * * * *

 

A few more hours of walking, and we made it to Yuba. We were quiet as Vivi cried out, frustrated and desperately trying to hold it all together, looking around at the wasteland that couldn’t possibly be housing the rebel army. We kept silent as she and Toto were reunited, looking around and trying to imagine the city as Toto described it… as it used to be.

We had our pick of places to sleep, and we ended up staying in an inn that had a large room with several single beds as well as a few bunk-beds. 

Usopp was quick to say goodnight, citing his exhaustion, immediately “snoring” loud and fake, which had Zoro’s irritation spiking since he had been forced to carry Usopp on the last part of the walk to Yuba. He yelled to Usopp about being more rested than everyone since he didn’t walk as much, which had Usopp jumping up in defense. Unable to refute Zoro’s words, he quickly pulled Chopper into the argument, since he compared better to Chopper than to Zoro.

Chopper, indignant at Usopp’s words, changed to his heavy point form, immediately scaring Usopp, and his words lost in Usopp’s scream. Zoro, tired of the noise, started throwing pillows. I started giggling, and the laughter grew as I turned to Vivi, seeing her blushing, and trying to explain to Sanji that he had gotten in her bed by mistake. 

“Pervert Cook!” 

Sanji turned upon hearing that, and got a pillow right to his face. “Someone’s going to die for that.” He muttered, grabbing a pillow and jumping into the fray. Soon, no one was safe, even me- though I just continued to gasp with laughter even when I was hit. After all the stress of the past few days, it was just the outlet we all needed. 

Once things calmed down, and we were all in bed, Vivi and I looked ruefully at each other. We could hear the snores around us, as each of our friends quickly dropped into sleep.

“They never do anything halfway, do they?” I said with a grin.

“No, it would seem not. Though… I wonder where Luffy is? Even he needs to rest.”

“He wanted to stay out with Toto,” I answered as I got myself comfortable. Silently to myself I said goodnight to my sisters, wherever they were. It was a ritual I had started, not really sure why, but it gave me comfort to remember that they were here… somewhere. I tacked another one to the end, though this time, I said it aloud. “Goodnight, Vivi.”

“Goodnight, Kia.” I could hear the smile in her voice, and was glad, that at least for a moment, she had some relief from the grief and pain she was constantly dealing with.


	28. We quit!

I was shaken awake the next morning, though it felt as if I had only just closed my eyes. Chopper was much too happy for how early it was, but that was due to it not being unbearably hot yet. I must have looked pretty terrible, because Chopper changed into his heavy point and offered his back to me.

“Uh, Chopper? What are you doing?” I asked.

“Just jump on Kia, I know you didn’t get much sleep.” It was true, ever since arriving here, I woke up in the middle of the night, my mind churning, or with nightmares and unable to get back to sleep. I had thought of taking a page from Zoro, maybe taking naps in the afternoons to make up for it. 

“Okay Chopper, but I’m awake,” I said as I jumped up on his back, with my arms around his neck and snuggled in. “but, I’m not quite warm enough yet.” Chopper giggled as he took us both outside.

“Thanks old man, we’re leaving now.”

I looked up to see Vivi and Luffy in front of Toto, with Toto giving a bow to Vivi and asking her forgiveness for the state of the oasis.

“It isn’t much, but here Luffy,” Toto said, handing him a small barrel with a rope attached. “After your help yesterday, I hit damp sand, and was able to extract some water.”

“Wow! It’s water?!” Luffy exclaimed.

“Genuine Yuba water, so it’s the best!” Toto puffed up slightly in pride, before deflating again. “I’m just sorry there isn’t more.”

“Thank you.” Luffy gave Toto a bow. “I’ll drink it real slow.” Luffy turned and began to walk, Usopp following after him, asking for a drink.

We all followed after him, but Vivi turned back, giving Toto a wave and a hope filled smile, which was returned in spades.

As we left Yuba, no one said anything. I was waiting for Luffy to decide to change the course we were walking, but that hadn’t happened yet either. The story I knew wasn’t clear as to how long they walked before deciding to go after Crocodile instead, but I knew the longer we walked now, the worse shape we would be in once we reached Rainbase. If I could prevent that… 

We walked for about a half hour more, before I finally made up my mind to say something. I had gone back and forth in my mind, not wanting to steal the moment from Luffy, but finally decided that I didn’t have to say what he did, just bring up the possibilities.

However, I also decided that stopping the way he did was too perfect to not imitate.

I saw a tree coming into view in front of us, and made up my mind. No turning back now. As we walked by the tree, I hopped down from Chopper, went over to it, and sat down. 

“Kia?” Chopper asked in question to my actions.

THUMP!

My shoulder moved, as another body crashed down beside me, jostling me. I looked over at Luffy, seeing the determination on his face, and gave him a small smile. “You quitting too?” I asked him quietly.

“Hmm,” he replied thinking about it. “Yep!”

“Luffy? Kia? What’s going on?” Usopp called back to us loudly. He had assumed we would be walking again since the others didn’t stop. I watched as they all looked back in confusion. 

Vivi, being concerned, asked “Luffy? Kia? Are you okay?” When we both nodded she added, “What’s going on?” 

Luffy glanced at me and said, “We quit.”

“What?” Vivi asked, the disappointment and desperation written all over her face.

By this time, the others had all walked back, but were not saying anything. If it had just been Luffy, I’m sure they would have plenty to say, but with me sitting there also, they were trying to see what they were missing.

“Kia?” Chopper asked me.

“Yes?” I replied with a small smile.

“You’re… you’re quitting? Here?” he asked tentatively.

“Yep!” I said, and rested my head on Luffy’s shoulder. It was surprisingly soft, though he was so slender. He was made of rubber after all. He had no clue that he just became my second choice for a pillow. My mind took a detour as I wondered if he liked to cuddle. It had been way to long since I had a good cuddle.

“Kia, my dear…” Sanji began, and I could see how he would scowl whenever he looked at Luffy, but would switch to a smile when he looked back at me. “We can’t just quit, we’re doing this for Vivi! We have to stop the rebels, or the whole country’s going to explode into bloodshed!”

I waited a moment for Luffy to reply, but he didn’t say anything, so I replied. “So is that the plan then? Go all the way back to Katorea?” I looked around at each of my companions, trying to keep my voice gentle. “After everything, how can we know they are still there?”

“We can’t,” Zoro answered. “But it’s the best lead we have. We know they were there, because Chopper and Eyelash saw them there.” I raised a brow skeptically at his response and he bristled slightly.

“That’s true, but we came here, because that was our best lead. I’m tired of being three steps behind.” I looked directly at Vivi. “So say we go all the way back, and we actually do see the rebels. Then what?”

“Then, I talk to Koza and tell him the truth, and he’ll stop the rebels from fighting.” 

I have to admit at this point, I was getting angry. Vivi hadn’t thought of any sort of back up, she just assumed as soon as she turned it over to Koza, he’d fix everything. “And? You’re a princess, and you can’t get them to stop, so how can he? Sure he leads them, but they want to fight to protect their country! They’re not just going to stop because he says, ‘Now we know it was all a misunderstanding’.”

Vivi’s face flashed with hurt before it hardened, and her eyes narrowed at me. “If you have a better idea, you could have said something long ago when we were planning everything!”

“Going to Katorea is a mistake. If by some miracle we stop the rebels, which I don’t think will happen,” I paused, as Nami and Chopper both said my name on a gasp. “that won’t stop the war in Alabasta.” I said, crossing my arms, and silently wishing Luffy would butt in, but he just sat there, his arms over his head, his hands behind his head and his eyes closed.

“So what?! We just _give up?!_ What a brilliant idea!” Vivi shouted at me, and I felt horrible. I stayed quiet, though I gave Luffy a small nudge to let him know it was his turn.

Nami must have had the same idea, because she asked, “Luffy? What do you say to all this?”

Luffy opened his eyes, looking at Vivi and nodding. “If we stop the rebels, that won’t stop Crocodile.” Vivi looked stricken as she realized the implications of that. “There’s nothing we can do in that Katorea place. Besides, we’re pirates. We’ll probably make things worse there.”

Everyone was quiet enough that I heard Sanji mutter, “I hate it when the idiot makes the most sense of all of us.”

“So what is the answer then?” Vivi asked through gritted teeth. “I don’t see any other solution, no matter how I look at it!”

“Because you’re looking at it wrong.”

They all looked at me, and I wanted to shut my mouth because I knew I was being harsh, but I pushed through. “With a million people just itching to fight, and a warlord who is viewed as a hero doing everything he can to incite war, you are looking for a solution where nobody dies, and _there isn’t one_.”

Vivi was getting very upset now. “What’s so wrong about not wanting anyone to die?!” she yelled at us.

“That’s naive.” Luffy said bluntly. “People die.”

Though I expected it, it was still a shock when Vivi reared back and punched Luffy in the face. She took all her anger out on him, screaming as he stood up.

“SHUT UP! I’M TRYING TO SAVE THEM! THE PEOPLE ARE INNOCENT, AND IT’S ALL CROCODILE’S FAULT, SO WHY SHOULD ANY OF MY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE?!”

“SO THEY CAN’T DIE, BUT YOU CAN RISK YOUR LIFE?” Luffy roared back, hitting Vivi on the side of her head, hard enough that she fell over, but she rose again in fury, jumping and tackling him to the ground, and pounding her frustrations into his face. “EVEN I CAN SEE THAT YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL BY YOURSELF!

“I HAVE TO!!” Vivi shouted back, as Luffy grabbed her hands to stop her assault. “I DON’T CARE WHAT IT COSTS ME!!!”

“THEN RISK OUR LIVES ALONG WITH YOURS! AREN’T WE FRIENDS???”

Though a few of the others had been held back from interfering, now they all stood quietly, watching Vivi as she burst into tears.

“Let us help you, Vivi.” Luffy said more quietly. “I know you want to kick Crocodile’s butt more than anyone, don’t you?” He stood up, wiping off his face. “So let’s stop him, together.”

 

* * * * *

No one was mad at me… exactly. But there was definite tension. I thought back, and couldn’t see where I had said anything horrible, or even worse than what Luffy said, but I apologized to Vivi anyway. She said she forgave me, but there was still an awkwardness between us now, that I wasn’t sure how to repair. 

Vivi had shown us on the map where Rainbase was and while Usopp tried his hardest to get a drink from Luffy’s barrel of Yuba water, Zoro had started walking, yelling at us all to hurry up. We all glanced back at him, and kept walking. Sanji finally gave in and yelled back that he was going the opposite way, and though he grumbled, he turned to hurry and catch us.

“Luffy…” 

We all looked to Vivi, who had spoken.

“Thank you, I don’t know how I can repay you for this,” she said.

“Shi shi, that’s easy! Feed me!”

“What?”

“Once I kick Crocodile’s butt, feed me till I explode, okay?”

Vivi grinned. “It’s a deal.”

 

* * * * * 

 

“We should go left! VIPs go left!” 

“But we’re pirates, and pirates go right!”

“AAH!!!” 

Okay, I admit, I knew what was coming… but falling down a hole will still make me scream, I mean, I had no idea how big of a fall I was in for. So I did what I thought was a smart move, and grabbed onto the side to stop myself from falling in. Little did I know, that Usopp would be holding onto me.

“Don’t let go, Kia please… hang on!”

“Usopp, there’s no way I can pull us both up,” I grunted out, my fingers barely holding on as it was.

“But… uh,” there was no good answer to that, and he just gave me a whimper.

“Just make sure you break my fall, okay?” I asked with a grin, turning my head to look at him. He wasn’t able to say more then “Huh?” before I let go. I noticed the trap door slammed shut as soon as our weight was off it, and Usopp and I both screamed as we fell. 

“Ooof!” I grunted. It wasn’t the worst landing, though it took my breath away for a moment. Several things hit me at once- I wasn’t on the ground, I was in someone’s arms. I could see Usopp on the ground with Luffy helping him up, Nami and Zoro both standing beside them, and all four of them were looking at me. Then who?

I looked up, and saw Smoker’s double cigars. Part of me wanted to scream and flail, but I didn’t. I actually really liked Smoker in the anime, one of my favorite parts being when a little girl ran into him, and he said his silly pants ate her ice cream. 

I cleared my throat, and he looked down at me. “Uh, thanks for that, but can you put me down now, please?”

He didn’t say anything, but tilted and leaned forward to place my feet on the ground, keeping a hand on my back as he straightened to ensure I was steady. I gave him a smile, because, hey… he was being a gentleman.

“Thank you.” 

I got a grunt in reply, as Smoker sat down on a bench at the back of the cell we were in. I looked around, noting that they were all looking at me in shock, so I shrugged, as if to say it was no big deal. Luffy turned and went back to the bars, grabbing on and sagging against them.

“Luffy?” Usopp asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Ugh… I feel so… weak.”

I stepped back as Smoker stood again, pulling out his jutte. He wasn’t going to actually hurt Luffy, and sometimes experience was a much better teacher than words. He lunged forward and smacked Luffy with the end, toppling him over. Smoker stood over Luffy’s prone form, the tip of his jutte resting on Luffy’s chest, with Usopp yelling in the background about fighting Smoker.

“Why can’t I move?” Luffy panted out. “It’s like when I fall in the ocean.”

I stepped over, pushing the jutte off of Luffy, and helping him up. 

“It’s sea prism stone,” Smoker said, re-sheathing his jutte. “It emits an energy identical to the ocean. Think of it as the ocean in solid form.”

“So that’s why Luffy’s so weak,” Zoro commented as he re-sheathed his sword as well, no longer worried about fighting the marine.

“It’s how the Marines deal with criminals with devil fruit powers,” I added. “They make the bars of the cells out of it, and devil fruit users can’t escape.” I turned to the bars in front of us. “Looks like Crocodile did the same.” I fixed Luffy’s crooked hat. “So don’t touch the bars anymore, okay?” Luffy nodded at me.

“If they weren’t, I’d be long gone,” Smoker said as he went to sit back down. “and you pirates would all be dead.”

I turned as I heard the lighter flick on, my eyebrow lifting as I took in Crocodile as he turned his chair around to face us.

“Tch tch,” Crocodile made a noise, like a parent catching children doing something bad. “You really should try to get along, since you are all going to die together.”

“Crocodile,” Smoker growled out.

“Aah!” Nami and Usopp looked stricken, as they raised their hands up in surrender. Zoro looked less than impressed, and Luffy’s hand became fists as he marched forward to the bars. 

He grabbed on and shouted, “You’re Crocodile! Fight….me…” The sea prism stones affecting him halfway through and he fell down, weak again.

“Ha ha ha! I never thought you would make it this far, Straw hat Luffy,” Crocodile looked us over, then stood and began walking away. “and now that you have, I’m going to kill you. Once the guest of honor gets here.” Luffy continued to shout after him, though Crocodile left us alone.

“Guest of honor?” Usopp asked Nami, once Crocodile had left the room. Nami shrugged, and walked up to the bars, looking around the room for something… anything to get us out.

“Vivi,” I answered Usopp, as I settled myself on the floor, Zoro already sitting against the wall, snoring softly. Usopp, Luffy and Nami looked at me in question, and I clarified my statement. “He’s waiting for Vivi.”

The others looked upset, and Nami started pacing through the cell, looking intently around. “Nami, we’ll get out of here, so you should rest while you can.”

“How can you be so calm?” she shouted, and we all jolted. “We’re locked in a cell by one of the _seven warlords_ , who said he was going to _kill us!_ And you want me to rest??” I tried not to smile, knowing that she was seriously freaking out. “And you!” She turned her wrath on Zoro. “How can you be sleeping!?” she accented her last word with a punch to Zoro’s head.

“Huh? Is it morning already?” Zoro opened one eye, but noting we were still in the same situation, immediately went back to sleep.

I stood, walking over to Nami and putting my arm around her shoulders, pulled her down to sit on the bench. “I’m calm because we’re not alone- we still have friends out there, friends who will stop at nothing to get us out.” 

Nami let out a shuttering breath, calming slowly as my words sank in. “That’s… that’s true…” she said quietly.

“So for now, just take it easy, okay? Getting stressed out isn’t going to help us, we need to think clearly.”

“You’re right Kia, I’m sorry.” I smiled, as Nami rested her head on my shoulder momentarily. 

“You seem to know a good deal about it all,” Smoker commented, and turning, I saw him appraising me. 

“Well, I’m pretty good at observing the big picture,” I say nonchalantly. The last thing I want is to draw the marine’s attention. Though… a small part of me is excited at the thought of being a pirate with a bounty. I shook my head slightly, pushing the thought away for another time.

“And the big picture here?” he asked me.

It was my turn to study Smoker, wondering if he really wanted to know, or if he was simply trying to decide how dangerous of a pirate I was. After a moment, I decided to humor him. After all, he was one of the good marines out there.

“From what I can tell? Crocodile is inciting rebellion in Alabasta. He’s pitting the country against itself, everyone fighting while trying to save their country, and no one seeing the strings being pulled behind them. I can only guess at why, though I imagine if Vivi isn’t successful, he’ll swoop in to pick up the pieces, and become the new ruler of Alabasta- and the people will probably be happy about it.”

Smoker hardly moved, but I could see one of his eyebrows wing up as I spoke. He nodded, and I assumed that was that. After a minute or so, he replied. “The world government assumes their warlords to be on their side, but underneath, they are all pirates-"

“Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!” We all turned as Crocodile’s laughter interrupted Smoker’s comment. “You’re as much a mad-dog as I’ve heard, Smoker,” Crocodile said as he walked in, back to his chair at the head of a large table. “You never considered me an ally, did you? And, you were right not to, ha ha ha!”

I glanced back at Smoker, seeing the disgust on his face. 

“CROCODILE!!”

“Vivi…” It seemed we all breathed out her name together, as we watched her stalk down the stairs towards the warlord.


	29. Bananagators

"Can’t you hear them Ms. Wednesday? All of them seeing the destruction around them, all of them drying up and fighting back… all of them fighting to defend their homeland. All of them shouting, ‘Defend Alabasta… defend Alabasta!’ Ha ha ha ha!!!”

We watched as Vivi struggled against the bonds keeping her in a chair. Everyone looked angry, but Luffy was furious, punching the bars, getting weak one second, back to normal the next and punching out again. It might have been funny, if it weren’t such a horrid situation.

Vivi struggled and squirmed, until the chair she was in fell over, and she continued to pull herself along the floor as best she could.

“What _are_ you doing, Ms. Wednesday?” Crocodile asked, his voice full of sarcasm. He was a sadistic man, enjoying the the moment each time that he could crush the hope from Vivi, and was endlessly frustrated when she continued to look for a new solution, a new way to achieve her goal.

“There is still time! I will,” she panted, trying to get her breath, “stop this! I just have to get to Alubarna and stop the rebels!!”

“Well then,” Crocodile smirked. “I’ll give you a choice.” He pulled a key out of his pocket, showing it to Vivi.

“Is that key to this cage?!” Luffy yelled out, interrupting. “Give it to me!”

Crocodile turned his head to give us a wicked looking smirk. I wished I had something to draw with, because it was a perfect moment to capture, a villain thinking he had won. Then I felt bad, it was not the time for that. I looked back up to see Crocodile looking at me, eyes narrowed, and I looked anywhere besides his face, embarrassed that perhaps I had said something or made a noise. I looked at my crew mates, grateful that they weren’t looking at me.

Crocodile dropped the key on the floor. “Your choice is simple. If you want to stop the rebellion, you would have to leave right now. Otherwise, hundreds of thousands of people… _your people_ … will die. Or… you could stay here and save your friends, just by opening the cage.” He stepped forward, triggering the trap door, and Nami and Usopp squawked as the key disappeared. “Oops. Unfortunately, I dropped the key into the bananagators’ pen.” He paused and gave Vivi a careless shrug. “Well, there are your choices, Ms. Wednesday.” Vivi was finally successful in getting out of her bonds, and went forward to peer down the trap door at the key.

“Hey! Look!” Luffy shouted, drawing our attention. “There are gators growing out of those bananas!”

We looked out of the windows behind the cage, and I almost asked Luffy to point them out, because I couldn’t see them. Then, where I was looking for an alligator, I saw an eye. I could hear the others talking, but I couldn’t understand them, as I swallowed hard, fear gripping me tightly. The reptile was gigantic, and made me think of a dinosaur, rather than a gator. It felt as if that huge eye was looking right through me, and I became more panicked as I noticed how many there were, my breathing erratic. 

I don’t know how long I stood like that, but eventually I felt a hand on my shoulder. I assumed it was Zoro, he was always one to watch out for his crew mates. I felt myself being led to the bench, and turned to sit. Now that I couldn’t look at the gators any longer, it was like I came out of some sort of trance, and I looked up. Smoker stood in front of me, blocking me from everyone else, and said quietly, “Deep breaths, nice and slow.”

I did as he said, closing my eyes and concentrating on my breathing, until I felt myself calm. I was still terrified of the gators, but reminded myself that I didn’t have to face them. _Oh crap, Vivi!_ I thought, my eyes flying open, to see her narrowly escape from a gator’s jaws.

“Buru-buru-buru… buru-buru-buru… buru-buru-buru- cah-lick.”

“Yes?” Ms. All Sunday asked after she answered the baby transponder snail.

“Hello? Can you hear me?”

“Yes, I hear you,” she replied, though the voice wasn’t convinced.

“Are we connected? Hello?” the voice asked again, and I smiled as I recognized it, both from memory, and because I had heard him speak not long ago.

“Hurry up and state your business,” Crocodile snarled, not appreciating the interruption.

“Ah, now that voice sounds familiar,” the voice said casually. “Hello, you’ve reached the Crap Cafe…”

“It’s Sanji,” I said quietly, so happy that we were about to get out of here, the others looked back at me momentarily, and Nami looked relieved. I could hear her say, “thank goodness.”

Usopp quickly kept Luffy from shouting out his name, covering his mouth and speaking softly to him. “Don’t say it, they don’t know about him, or Chopper yet.” Luffy nodded, and Usopp released him.

We went back to watching Crocodile, who looked much less amused now, though Ms. All Sunday still wore a smirk. “Who is this?” Crocodile demanded to the voice on the snail.

“Who am I?” he responded. “You can call me… Mr. Prince.” That was all it took before Luffy and Usopp starting shouting.

“Get us out of here Prince!”

“Hurry, there’s not much time!!”

“Ha ha, sounds like my crew mates are there with you. I guess I’ll just…” 

We didn’t hear what he was going to say, as there was an extremely loud gunshot, and what sounded like an explosion. The others looked stricken, but I just sighed, resting back on the bench. All this upheaval was making my head pound.

“You’re awfully calm.”

I turned my head, remembering at just that moment that Smoker was still sitting beside me. I gave a small smile, thinking quickly. There was a lengthy pause before I said, “Sanji is too strong to be taken down by Baroque Works peons.”

“Seems your friends don’t share that sentiment,” he mused, gesturing to where the others were panicking, Zoro being the exception, though he looked really angry.

I looked back at Smoker and shrugged. “Oh, and thanks. For… earlier.” He grunted at me, which I assumed meant, “Not a problem for a charming and beautiful young lady such as yourself.” I may have read a little into it, but… that’s what happens when you don’t communicate properly.

Sitting in a cage and unable to do anything, made this whole thing seem surreal, like it was a show. I watched as I had read before, how Crocodile laughed, feeling again as if he had won. How Vivi ran for the broken staircase, barely escaping the bananagator, only to have Crocodile throw her back down. The others yelled, giving her encouragement and in desperation when it looked like she might not succeed. 

Finally she was again atop the stairs, though at the cost of some windows in the underwater room. The water began pouring in much more rapidly, and she shouted as she ran, “I won’t abandon you! I’m going to get help!!”

“Okay! We’re counting on you Vivi!” Usopp yelled back.

I sat there quietly with Smoker, as Nami taunted the bananagator into biting down on the cage, only to break its teeth on the bars. The gator was slightly less scary now as I watched in surprise as it went miserably to a corner of the room… like it was… pouting? It was very strange.

“So… Kia, was it?” 

I glanced at Smoker again, nodding in answer to his question. 

“Exactly how much do you guys know about what Crocodile is up to here?”

“HEY!!” We faced forward, looking at an outraged Usopp and Luffy. “Are you friends now or something?!”

“How can you be so calm?! Get over here and help us!!”

I gave them a look that clearly stated, “are you serious right now?” and gestured to Smoker with a hand. “Being respectful and friendly, does not make someone your friend. He is a _marine captain_ , and I am sailing with a pirate crew. Those two things don’t mix.”

I huffed a little at the implication, but inwardly, I was kind of wishing I _could_ be friends with Smoker. _That would be so awesome!_

“And we’re not over there, because he,” I said pointing to Smoker, “ate a devil fruit, and therefore would be worthless in the water, and I… am trying to stay dry.”

Smoker made a sound like he almost laughed, but quickly covered it up with a cough. I gave him a big smile, which he didn’t return, but I still felt great about it. “We’re here to help our friend, that’s all.” I finally replied to his earlier question.

Smoker’s gaze hardened slightly as he told us about the implications of Nico Robin joining up with Crocodile… implications that would affect much more of the world than just Alabasta.

Luffy had remained stoic as he listened, but finally had had enough. “I don’t need any more reasons to kick Crocodile’s butt!!” he shouted. 

“Very well,” Smoker replied. “What’s your plan then?” 

Luffy’s willpower was able to do amazing things, especially if he didn’t think about what was going on around him. But as soon as he looked down and noticed the water reaching his thighs, he slumped over onto Usopp. “Aah! Ugh… I feel so weak.”

Usopp started shaking Luffy, shouting at him to hang on, Vivi was bound to come back soon. Nami was looking up, asking Vivi to hurry, and Zoro was glaring at the cage, grousing that he was too weak to slice the bars and save his crew. And, another bananagator made it into the room and started heading for our cage, growling loudly.

“It’s not polite,” we all turned and stared, looking for the source of the new voice, “to roar at the table!” I grabbed Smoker’s arm without thinking, grinning up at him.

“BAD MANNERS KICK COURSE!!!!”

The gator was kicked directly in the middle, almost folding over due to the power of the hit. It coughed up several pieces of… something, and rolled over onto its back, looking like it was passed out.

“Hi,” Sanji said coolly, as he tapped out his cigarette into the water. “Been waiting long?” 

Usopp and Luffy cheered, Nami breathed a sigh of relief, and Zoro ground his teeth together. 

“Quit showing off, and get the key already!” Zoro yelled.

Sanji spotted us, and started doing his love dance. “Nami… do you love me now??” 

“Yes, yes, now get us out of here!” Nami said, exasperated.

“Of course my sweet!” His voice and posture changed as he faced the gators again. “Come at me crap-bananas! I’ll teach you to attack my ladies!”

“Sanji!” Usopp hollered. “We don’t have time for this, just kill them and find the key!”

“The third one!!” I shouted, at the same time that Smoker said, “Kill the third one in.”

“Huh?” Luffy asked, “Why that one?” 

I smirked and gestured to Smoker to answer. “What are your ears for, decoration? That one has the same growl as the one who swallowed the key,” he said, glancing at me. Luffy looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded along.

Sanji went for the gator, kicking it in the gut to make it cough up the key. Instead we got a huge ball of wax that was Mr. 3, still alive, but barely. After a lot of commotion, and some of Sanji’s persuasion techniques, Mr. 3 used his powers to create a key that would open the cage. As soon as the door opened, Luffy and Zoro ran out, and killed every single bananagator. 

I couldn’t blame them, we were all stir crazy from being in a cage for so long, but their excess energy made it more difficult for all of us. The water pressure pushed against the damaged walls, to the point of crashing them in, and water flooded the rest of the room almost instantaneously.

I grabbed onto the nearest person, who happened to be Smoker, and yelled, “Deep breath!” I put him in a rescue hold, and started swimming for the surface, waiting momentarily for the press of the water filling the room to stop. As I cleared the room, I could feel Zoro grab Smoker’s arm, helping me pull him to the surface.

We broke the surface of the water, the last to make it, and Zoro let go when he noticed I was able to keep Smoker’s face above the water on my own. He got out first, and took a heavily panting Smoker from me out of the water, then assisted me in getting out as well.

Most of us were squeezing excess water from our clothes, though Luffy and Usopp were still laying on the ground. Sanji told Nami to spray her perfume, and swooned from the smell once she had. I took my hair out of it’s ponytail, and flipped it over my head, bending over to wring it dry, and looked up when I felt someone standing in front of me. I pushed my hair out of my face, and looked at Smoker in question.

Zoro stepped in front of me, and without even seeing them pull out their weapons, the jutte and sword were in a battle as well, holding each other back.

Smoker glared at me, water dripping down his face. “Why?” he asked.

“You have a devil fruit, you can’t swim.” I said, as if I was stating the obvious. Which technically, I was.

Smoker glanced over to Zoro, questioning him as well. “Captain’s orders. _I’d_ have let you drown.” 

He looked between the two of us. “Then you’ll have no problem if I do my duty now,” he began, just as Luffy and Usopp jumped up.

“Where’s that Crocodile!” Luffy grumbled.

“Let’s go! On to Alubarna!” Usopp shouted, then they turned to look at us. “Aah! It’s Smoker! Watch out Luffy! Run away!!” 

“Smokey!” Luffy brought his fists up, ready to throw down. “You wanna fight?” he demanded.

Smoker just looked at him, both of them staring at the other, and then his eyes closed. “Go.”

“What?” Luffy stated.

“This is the only time I will let you get away.” He looked over at me, and I felt as if he was trying to understand something that I couldn’t begin to. “Next time… you’re dead meat, Straw Hat.”

Luffy didn’t back down, and Zoro started laughing. The others looked at each other in shock, before they all took off running. We could hear the Marines coming towards us, and 

Zoro pushed me forward as he called out, “Luffy! Come on!!”

“Okay,” Luffy replied, before turning back to Smoker. “Hey, you’re all right.”

I giggled as I heard Luffy running away from Smoker’s angry rant.

We ran as fast as we could, though we got tired fairly quickly as we headed out of town. 

“Are we going to run all the way to Alubarna?” Usopp complained.

“Maybe we can get some horses?” Luffy asked Vivi.

“But the Marines are all around town,” she replied.

“Just relax,” Sanji stated with a smile. “Look up ahead.”

Most of us stopped immediately, some of us skidding on the sand as we tried. In front of us, was a huge crab, as tall as the buildings in the town. I’m sure my mouth hung wide open. And up on top of it was…

“Chopper!” I yelled, so happy to see him again.

“Hop on everyone!” He called down to us from atop the crab.

“We can ride it?!” Luffy yelled with a grin and stars in his eyes. “So cool!”

“Yeah, but he’s looking at me all creepy-like,” Nami said quietly.

“He’s Eyelash’s friend! He has lots of friends here, since this is his hometown!” Chopper called out, as everyone started climbing onto the crab’s giant claw. I just eyeballed it, even though I wasn’t the shortest among us, I didn’t think I could jump that high.

“I’ll help you Kia my heart!” Sanji said in a sing song voice, coming over to me, just as Zoro grabbed my waist and threw me up on top of the claw.

“Aah!” I yelped, as I landed on Luffy. “Thanks for the assist, Captain,” I said to Luffy, who laughed. “You too Zoro!” I yelled out, only to yelp again at Zoro jumped up next to me, startling me.

The crab raised his claw once we were all on, brought it level with his back, and we moved over to sit on his back. I walked over and sat next to Vivi.

“Pretty amazing, isn’t it Vivi?” I asked as I sat down. She looked at me, and gave me a small, tight lipped smile. I could tell she wasn’t angry, but I had hurt her feelings, and she hadn’t quite gotten over that yet.

I turned slightly, so I could watch the town behind us. Chopper yelled, “Giddy-up!” and the crab started moving, it feeling so fast because of how large he was. I kept my eyes peeled, looking for any sign of-

I interrupted my own thoughts, as I saw the gleam of his hook, coming straight for Vivi. I had originally planned to just move her out of the way, so that he didn’t get any of us, but that isn’t what happened. I pushed Vivi, and in my haste, not only put myself where she had just been, but pushed so hard that she crashed into Luffy, toppling over him.

“Kia, what-?” Zoro didn’t finish as the others gasped, as I was being pulled away from the crab, floating in the air above the sand by a golden hook around my waist. The hook that was following a trail of sand back towards the city. 

“Chopper, make it stop!” Zoro shouted.

“KIA!!!” I could hear them all shouting and I reached out, trying to get free. My hand was grabbed, and I grinned, relieved, as Luffy rocketed towards me, his body coming to meet his hand that had grasped mine. He tried for a moment to free me, before he stopped, and turned to shout back.

“I can handle this! Keep going!!”

“Luffy!” the shouts came as we got further away.

“Take care of Vivi!” he yelled.

“Make sure she gets to Alubarna!!!” I added, as loud as I could. I couldn’t see their faces any longer, but I knew Zoro smirked, and directed Chopper to get the crab moving again.

“Don’t worry Kia,” Luffy said to me. “I’ll protect you.”

* * * *

 

Zoro stood resolutely, even as Usopp and Vivi yelled at him about abandoning Luffy. _Didn’t they get it? He was giving them a way to help Vivi achieve her goal! Nami got it, she was smart enough, but even the stupid cook understood, so why didn’t they?_

“Listen Vivi,” Zoro said, because she needed it. “Time is ticking down on this kingdom’s fate. If the royal and rebel armies clash, then Alabasta is finished, right? You are the only hope of preventing that… so you are the one that must survive… no matter what may happen to the rest of us.”

Sanji rolled his eyes at the muscle-bound jerk. _Couldn’t he be slightly less blunt towards the princess? She was delicate, after all._ “Vivi, when you started this several years ago, you had no idea the true nature of group you took on,” Sanji said gently. “But, you need to remember… you’re not fighting all alone any longer.”

Vivi looked, and could still see the small speck that was Luffy and Kia, left in the sand behind them. She had to let them know she believed in them. “Luffy!! Kia!!! WE’LL BE WAITING FOR YOU IN ALUBARNA!”

She smiled as the answer came drifting in much more quietly than it must have been originally.

“Yeah!”

She sat back down, feeling much lighter than before, though confused. After a time, “Nami?” she asked quietly, her friend seated next to her. “I’ve been horrible, and she still did that…”

Nami smiled, rapping on the princess’s head with her knuckles. “Because silly, we’re friends. “She may have accidentally hurt you, but she never stopped caring.”

“I guess I haven’t either,” Vivi admitted. “I’m so worried about what Crocodile will do…”


	30. Raise the white flag!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously:
> 
> Kia pushed Vivi out of the way, and ended up hooked by Crocodile. Luffy grabs hold of her, and both of them send their friends on without them, intending to catch up to them in Alubarna.

“Looks like the princess got away.”

Still in Crocodile’s hook, I was tossed over to Ms. All Sunday, who was still giggling. I glanced up at her, as hands bloomed cuffing my arms behind me, but she was hardly looking at me. She was so intrigued with Luffy, which was understandable, since Luffy didn’t act like what most considered a normal pirate.

Luffy stood up, brushing the sand from his clothes. He glanced over at me, and I smiled, letting him know I was fine.

“It seems so,” Crocodile grumbled, answering Ms. All Sunday’s comment. “But we have one of her friends, and knowing the princess’ weakness, she’ll come to save her.”

“That’s not her weakness,” Luffy said, still looking down and brushing sand away from him. “it’s her strength. She will always help others, and she’ll never stop fighting. But, as long as you stay here, she’ll kill herself trying to stop you from harming anyone.”

Luffy looked straight at Crocodile and cracked his knuckles. “So I’m gonna finish you here.”

“Ha ha ha!” Crocodile’s scorning laugh boomed out around us. “How very noble of you to give your life for some stranger you befriended. I’ll desert you like the dozens of other fools before you!”

“That makes _you_ the fool!” Luffy shouted back with a smirk.

Ms. All Sunday broke out in a laugh, but tried to keep it quiet. Crocodile heard however, and turned his angry face towards us. 

“And what are _you_ laughing at?! Are you wanting to die too, Nico Robin?!”

Robin’s smile faded, but she merely eyed Crocodile, calling his bluff. “If you’d like. However, you promised not to call me by that name.” Robin grabbed my arm, and turning me, started shepherding me towards Rainbase. 

“Where are you going?” Crocodile demanded.

“On to Alubarna,” she replied without looking back. I could hear Crocodile grumbling, though I couldn’t make out the words.

“Uh,” I started, then coughed to clear my throat, “Ms. All Sunday?”

“Yes?” she answered, from behind me.

“I’d like to go to Alubarna as well, to meet up with my friends. So, if you’d prefer, you don’t need to prod me along. I’ll go willingly.”

“Oh? And why is that?” 

“To be honest? I don’t know how to get there, and I want to help stop the war. It’s so pointless.”

“Ha ha,” she chuckled. “Maybe from your point of view, but it will serve its purpose.”

I hesitated, unsure of how much to push. “Can I ask you something?” 

“Certainly, though that doesn’t guarantee an answer.”

I was going to ask why she didn’t want to use her name, but after I thought it, I realized it was a dumb question. So instead I blurted out, “My name’s Kiana. What’s yours? I mean, what should I call you?” 

There was only silence, and we walked on for some time. As we came back to Rainbase, we went around to the side of a building. My arms were suddenly freed, and I turned as I stretched them out, looking at Robin in question, but she was looking at the sky.

“It seems your captain has a knack for frustrating Crocodile.”

I chuckled, “That’s putting it mildly, and he’s not the only one.”

Robin smiled, and started walking again. “It will be faster with an Accelegator,” she said. We rounded the building to find a large gator, only slightly smaller than the others I had seen, but much leaner. His snout was longer, and the banana was atop the end of his snout, instead on top of his head. There was some type of saddle, with lush seats, and a covering over the top.

“Wow,” I said quietly. The gator was eyeballing us, as we walked forward. “He’s impressive,” I said. The gator continued to growl, but appeared to puff up some, as if he understood me, and was proud of it. 

“The Accelegator is the second fastest animal in Alabasta,” Robin told me as she climbed into the front seat, and gestured behind her for me to climb in. “It will give us time to see the outcome of your captain's duel.”

“Okay,” I answered, and as soon as I had sat, the gator took off. In less than a quarter of the time it had taken us to walk, we were back at the spot where we had left Luffy and Crocodile. I couldn’t see much, but I noticed Luffy’s head above the sand, down in a large crater left by Crocodile’s sink hole.

“It seems Crocodile won,” I stated. 

“And yet,” Robin answered, as she climbed out of the seat. “He is still fighting… why?” She walked forward, probably to ask that question to Luffy. I stayed where I was, watching. 

Robin strode forward, and using her powers, pulled Luffy out of the sand. They spoke quietly to each other, and I could hear Luffy panting and coughing every so often. One of Robin’s hands popped up from the sand next to Luffy’s hat, and threw it to her. She caught it, and tossed it down on top of Luffy’s stomach.

“Finally, I found you!”

Behind Robin, Pell the falcon- warrior of Alabasta, dropped down and changed back to his human form, but then fell to his knee. I could see Robin smirk, as she suggested that he help Luffy, since he was the one who had been protecting his princess, it was the least he could do. She came back to me, and hopped back onto her seat.

“Did you want to stay with your captain?” she asked me. 

“I’ll go on with you, if that’s all right,” I replied. If she was surprised, she didn’t show it, merely set the gator back in motion, and we raced off to Alubarna.

“Thank you, for helping him,” I said finally.

“I was merely sating my curiosity,” she responded. 

“True, but it was still a help to me, and I appreciate it.”

“I must admit, I find your captain… and his crew… as something of a puzzle,” she said. 

“Well, I am the newest member, but if I can help, I’ll be glad to answer any questions. Well,” I clarified, “almost any. We are on opposing sides at the moment, are we not?”

“That is true,” she answered with a smirk. “However I find it more rewarding to discover the answer to a puzzle on my own, but… thank you.”

 

* * * * *

 

The ride had taken quite a while, and I used the quiet to go through what I could remember about what my friends were doing. If all went according to what I knew, they had their own difficulties in traveling to Alubarna, and then used a decoy plan to give Vivi a chance to stop the rebel army. That would be thwarted by a Baroque Works agent blasting a cannonball into the oncoming rebel army, obscuring thier vision, and keeping Vivi from being seen.

Then everyone else would be fighting the number agents, and their female partners. They would win, but get pretty banged up in the process, and eventually gather in the square outside the palace, where Vivi would join them. 

Going with Robin to the palace sounded like a good idea at the time, but since Vivi would be thrown off the building by Crocodile, and pretty much everyone else up there died… perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea after all.

That’s when a crazy idea struck me, and I wondered if I would be able to pull it off.

I kept going over my memories, trying to piece together some sort of time line, trying to guess at what would happen if I used my knowledge to make a difference. Would it really change things that much if I told Robin about the poneglyph? Or Pell where the cannon is hidden? Or even something as small as warning Luffy about Crocodile’s poisoned hook??

That’s when Robin’s words from earlier came back to me.

“Ms. All Sunday? Earlier, you said that you liked to figure out puzzles for yourself.”

“Hmm? Yes, I do.”

“Would there be harm in telling someone something? In not letting them find out for themselves?”

“I take it you don’t mean my questions about your captain,” she replied. “And I admit, I am curious about what knowledge you may be wanting to share that has you asking this,” she mused before answering me. 

“However there is no one answer to your question, as there are many factors that would weigh in. But in a general sense, no, not harm per se, but by giving the answer, you are taking away the opportunity for the other person to gain the knowledge for themselves, which won’t mean as much, won’t stretch the person’s mind. There would be no growth, and instead of relying on themselves in the future, you’ve made the person reliant on you for answers. Or the person could simply not believe what you are telling them, needing to find it out for themselves. Again, this is just a general answer. In my own case, I enjoy the pursuit of knowledge, and hate to have the answers given to me.”

“Thank you, that helps.” 

“My pleasure.” She was quiet for several moments. “Were you to give me more specifics, I would try to assist you further?” she ventured.

I gave a small smile, though she couldn’t see it. “Were we on the same side of this conflict, I would probably take you up on that,” I answered.

“I see,” she replied, and we went back to silence. 

We arrived at a cave just outside the city, and picked up another passenger, and I was shocked to see it was the king. I had assumed the other agents would bring him to the palace. He didn’t say anything, but looked to be in pretty bad shape. Robin said nothing as she practically hauled him onto the gator, and we started making our way towards the north end of the city, away from the fighting.

It was faint, but we could hear the roars of the people, and the weapons as the armies clashed, the battle just beginning. We came to a stop outside the North city gates, and I exited the gator after Robin, helping her to get the king out, without aggravating his wounds.

“Let’s go,” Robin said, and headed off towards the palace, pushing the king ahead of her, and I followed, keeping pace. 

“Shouldn’t I be, um, tied up, as well?” I asked hesitantly.

“Ah, that’s true, I suppose I forgot.” 

I folded my arms behind my back again, and felt hands joining together across my arms, keeping them in place. It was a very strange feeling, knowing there were hands coming out of my back, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

Robin glanced at me in question, and I shrugged. “I’ve wondered sometimes what it would be like to have an extra hand, but this wasn’t what I was picturing.”

Robin smiled slightly, and then tugged me over so that I was next to the king, and continued to shepherd us to the palace. 

We climbed a bunch of stairs, so many that I was completely out of breath, and grumbled to myself about working out more. The king kept giving me furtive glances, and I realized he must be wondering who I was, and why I was here, but I didn’t say anything.

The large doors to the palace courtyard were opened by what looked like palace guards, but I looked for the tattoos, and found them on their arms. Baroque Works insignias, plain as day. It made me wonder what the other guards thought they were when they saw them, or if these agents had kept them covered until now.

It was quite noisy now, as we walked past a huge, open door. We looked down, seeing the backs of the royal army, stationed to be the last line of defense for the palace.

“Shut these doors,” Robin ordered, and the fake guards were quick to obey. We waited there, in silence, listening for… something. Robin must have known what it was, because after a time, she brought her hands up, crossed in front of her chest and smirked. “Dieciseis Fleurs” she said, closing her eyes, and smiling. The king and I watched her, but didn’t see anything besides her, but we could hear shouting from the other side of the door.

“What are you doing to them?!” the King demanded, the first time he spoke.

“Ensuring our privacy,” Robin responded. “Let’s go.”

We walked towards the courtyard, hearing the screaming all around us, though it was faint from how high up we were. Ahead of us, I could see Vivi and Chaka looking up, and above us I could hear Crocodile gloating about his new palace.

Robin pushed the king up against the wall, just as a cloud of sand descended upon us. I closed my eyes, and heard a groan of pain. Feeling the sand leave, I opened my eyes again, to see the king impaled with large spikes through his arms holding him to the wall. Robin stood next to me, and Crocodile was on the other side of the king. I could see his grin as he took in the state of the king. 

“There seems to be quite a commotion going on outside the gate,” Robin said loudly, gaining Vivi and Chaka’s attention, which then fell on the king.

“Father!!”

“Your Majesty!!” 

The king looked up, blood dried and caked to his face. “Vivi… I’m sorry. You’ve risked your life to save this kingdom, and I have ruined it!!”

“Father…” Vivi panted, her face twisting in anger as she glared at Crocodile. “How did you get here? Where are Luffy and Kia??”she demanded.

“Straw Hat? He’s dead,” Crocodile stated, as he blew out smoke from his cigar. “As for your other friend…” he gestured over to me. 

“Kia!” Vivi started forward, only to be stopped by Chaka. “Are you okay? Where’s Luffy?”

“I’m okay!” I answered. “Luffy and I got separated, but I’m sure he’s on his way here!”

Crocodile scoffed at me. “What is it about your crew that gives you such optimism? I told you, he’s dead, and soon princess, you and the king will join him. When a kingdom dies, the royal family dies with it.” He glanced back at the king, walking over to stand in front of him. “However Cobra, before you die, I need to know. Where is the Pluton?”

The king gasped, but Vivi and Chaka only looked confused. 

“How… ?” King Cobra asked, but steeled himself and demanded, “Where did you hear of such a thing?”

“It has been my goal from the very beginning!” 

I tuned out Crocodile’s monologue, focusing instead on trying to get Vivi’s attention, mouthing her name over and over, and shaking my head. I even jumped up and down a couple of times, until Robin glanced over at me with a frown, so I stopped.

“HOW COULD YOU?! WHAT HAVE THEY EVER DONE TO YOU?” Vivi shouted, startling me. 

“They are nothing to me,” Crocodile answered, turning back to the king. “So King Cobra, where then is the Poneglyph?”

“The ponegylph?” Vivi asked. “Why would you need that record?”

“If I … tell you… no. I’ll show you… where it is,” Cobra answered. He looked much weaker than he had moments before. He had probably lost a lot of blood by now.

“Ha ha! The mighty king! That’s a wise decision, your majesty,” Crocodile mocked him, causing Chaka to finally have had enough. 

I noticed Robin wince beside me, drawing my attention to her hand, as she looked at it. There was a small cut, with blood dripping down. It seemed peculiar, until I remembered the hands she had placed on the door to the courtyard, keeping the royal army away.

“Do not touch him!” A shout rang out, as four large men came walking up the stairs. “We are charged with protecting the king, and if you go to harm him, you will deal with us.”

“I’m not in the mood, so I’ll be merciful this once. Go home, and live.” Crocodile said in a bored tone.

“That is not possible, now.” 

“No! Those marks!” Chaka exclaimed, and Vivi looked at him. 

“Chaka? What is it?” she asked.

“In order to gain strength beyond their own, they drank a lethal elixir… they cannot be saved!” Chaka exclaimed, “you fools!” he muttered to himself as he hung his head in his hands.

“Please forgive us, Lord Chaka, but this man…. this man must feel Alabasta’s wrath!”

We watched on, as the four dying men did their best against Crocodile. He simply took their blows, dissipating into sand and reforming each time. He didn’t fight back, he just watched in amusement, as they fought on, until they each dropped, the elixir claiming them.

“No respect for life,” Crocodile said sarcastically, which had Chaka in a fury. He threw aside his cape, transforming into his devil fruit form, and running straight for Crocodile. “This is the height of stupidity!” Crocodile yelled, then turned to notice Chaka coming for him. “Ah! Will you die for your king as well?”

The fight was mercifully short, and thankfully Crocodile didn’t kill Chaka. Vivi looked on the verge of tears, and I started inching my way away from Robin. Soon… I’d be needing to make my escape soon.

“Vivi!”

Everyone turned, to find Koza in the courtyard. 

“Koza!” Vivi yelled back, seeming happy to see him.

“... the secret passage…” I could make out from the king.

“I don’t understand…” Koza said. “I came to plead with the royal army, to stop this war. And instead I find the king being killed by our nations’ hero… What am I seeing?”

“Confused?” Robin asked cheerfully. “It’s quite simple. Just imagine the worst possible scenario.”

“Who stole the rain from this kingdom?” Koza demanded.

I had been trying now to avoid attention, but I needed to get to the stairs behind Chaka, which meant being in sight of all the players in this strange play. I no longer paid any attention to what was being said, knowing that it’s wasn’t essential to hear. 

I stuck close to the wall, and moved slowly, stopping and pausing when it looked like someone may look my way. Everyone was so involved with each other, that I was going unnoticed. Until, I saw Robin glance back at me. Our eyes met, and after a moment, I raised a brow in question. If she was going to do something, I’d prefer she do it sooner than later.

She gave me a smirk, and pointedly turned her back to me. I gave a smirk of my own, and continued to the top of the stairs. I crept down a few, and crouched, knowing that Vivi and Koza would make their way here, going down to the rebel army to raise the white flags. 

Within moments, Koza was running to me, and Vivi tackled him, explaining her plan to stop the war. Crocodile went to stop them, and Chaka stood to block his attack. 

“Vivi!” I said as I stood, so she could see me. “I’ll help him!” Vivi looked surprised, but relieved. “Thank you Kia!” and turning to Koza, “Kia’s my friend, she can help!” Koza nodded, and grabbing my arm, went running down the stairs, and I hustled to keep up.

We could hear Vivi yelling from above us, “Royal Army! Raise the white flag! I beg you!”

They all looked up at us, as we came running down the stairs above them, murmuring about Koza being there. 

“Yes!” Koza shouted. I’m going to stop the rebel army, and tell them this war was wrong!” 

I followed him down the rest of the staircase, as the royal army captain decided to listen to the princess’ words. They seemed relieved that the fighting would end. As we came up to the man in charge, and he and Koza discussed the location best suited for Koza to be, I interrupted.

“We must be cautious.”

They both stopped to look at me, and I hurried to continue. “Crocodile said something earlier about having men stationed in both armies to incite the war. If that is true, they will not hesitate to destroy this chance we have to stop the fighting.”

“With the white flags out, everyone will stop,” Koza said. “We will be able to speak to them.”

“True enough, but if I were one of Crocodile’s men, here in the royal army, and the rebels were all stopped listening to their leader speak of ending the fighting…”

“You could be in grave danger,” the captain said to Koza, understanding where I was going. 

“We don’t have the time to root out Crocodile’s men,” Koza said angrily. “We have to take this chance.”

The captain and I looked at each other. “Very well, but we will be standing there with you,” he replied.

He found a small sword for me, and a pistol, so now I was armed with weapons I had no idea how to use. There was a large piece of rubble, it looked almost like a bell, and Koza stood atop it, holding out his white flag. All around us, soldiers waved their flags as well, as the rebel army came stampeding towards us.

The army didn’t stop immediately, but as they came closer, they recognized Koza. They pushed closer and closer, wanting to make sure they were not being deceived, wanting to believe it was their leader.

“Koza?” I could hear several of them shout.

“Yes!” Koza exclaimed. “The battle is over! Rebel army, throw down your weapons!!”


	31. Day of Miracles

The captain and I were both facing the royal army, our backs to Koza, looking for threats to his life. I could see several men that looked less than happy about holding a white flag, but that didn’t mean anything. I kept searching the crowd, looking for weapons, but found none.

I could hear the relief in Koza’s voice, and I turned, unsure of why the attack wasn’t coming, to see the captain beside me, raising his gun to Koza’s back. The white flag he held, was blocking him from view of the others, and I screamed “No!!”

He managed to shoot three times by the time I reached him, the sword in my hand unknowingly going straight through his torso, as we both fell to the ground. Koza fell as well, and before I could think straight, the shouting and fighting had commenced again.

“Nice…try…” I lifted my head, the traitorous captain's voice wheezing under me. I glared at his face, as he became more and more pale. I lifted myself off him, noticing the fatal wound that I had caused, and the blood on my shirt. I felt so many things at once, that I had to push it all down to deal with another time. I was definitely going to be sick, but I tamped that feeling down as well. “mission…. accomplished,” he said quietly, and died right in front of me.

The whole time, he was one of Baroque Works?! How many years had he been working his way up the army in Alabasta, to do this for Crocodile, who didn’t even care!!! What a waste. I felt sorry for the man, but remembering Koza, left his side to go find the rebel leader. With all the fighting going on, and the dust it created, I couldn’t see, and couldn’t hear anything but shouting. I crawled around, having to climb over wounded and dead men, searching for Koza.

“KOZA!!” I shouted, but I could hardly hear my own voice, so I didn’t bother after that. After what seemed an eternity, I finally found the bell that Koza had been standing on. How I had gotten so far away from it, I have no clue. I must have wandered away from Koza instead of towards, and I berated myself for time wasted. I hoped Koza was okay.

Each body I came to, I turned over, searching faces to find Koza’s. Some men I found were still alive, and I helped drag them over to the bell, the huge structure providing some cover for them, so they would not be in danger of being trampled. I tore multiple pieces from my shirt, helping to stop the bleeding from wounds they received. Finally, finally, I turned a body over, and found Koza’s face. He was too heavy for me to move, as tired as I was.

His eyes fluttered open, as I assessed the damage to his body. Two of the captain’s shots hit him, one in the arm, and one in the torso. “Hold still, and breath deeply!” I yelled close to his ear so he could hear me. I hiked his shirt up, and put my ear to his chest, covering my other one with my hand, trying to hear if his lung had been punctured.

I couldn’t hear anything that sounded bad, and his heartbeat seemed fine, if a little fast. I raised myself back up, and lowered his shirt. He was giving me an incredulous look, and his face was pretty red.

“Are you okay?” I yelled, my head tilting in question. He nodded, so I shrugged. “Can you walk?” I mimed walking as I asked, in case he couldn’t hear me. He nodded again, moving his hand back and forth in a gesture of so-so. I nodded again, and leaned closer to shout in his ear. “I’ve been putting wounded men by the rubble, this way. It’s not far, we can make it!”

I leaned away, looking at him in question, and he nodded again. I tugged and pulled, helping him to his feet, and letting him lean on me, we made our way over to my makeshift infirmary. I helped him back down, so he was leaning against the bell. He tried to say something, but I just covered his mouth, and yelled, “no! Just rest!”

I didn’t give him a chance to protest. My friends were out here somewhere, looking for the cannon, and the bomb. I needed to find them! I had left my sword where it was… stuck. I couldn’t bring myself to get it back, so armed with a pistol, I moved out towards the edge of the fighting. 

My mind was whirling, because I had changed something. I had fought, and doing my best, Koza was still wounded, but much less than before. True, not much had changed in the whole, but for Koza, things were better. If I could find Pell, or any of the Straw Hats, I had decided I would tell them where the cannon was.

I couldn’t make everything better, I knew, and I’d have to really think things through, later. But for now, I was going to do what I could to help.

Each time, I ventured out to find my friends, I came across wounded men. And each time, I almost kept going, but my mind would replay my own words back, “I would do what I could to help.” I had meant my friends when I thought that, but I couldn’t walk past these men, knowing I could help them. 

On the tenth trip back to the bell, I sank down with the injured man, panting, as I took in his wound. He had a large slice from a blade across his shoulder, that had come very close to his neck. I reached down to tear my shirt again, and noticed that if I tore any more, I’d be showing off my underwear. I hadn’t gotten as many bandages out of it as I wanted, since I already had blood on it from the captain, and I couldn’t use those pieces. I had the fleeting thought that if I had kept the dancer outfit on, I’d have been in just a bra this whole time.

I wasn’t one to show off skin, but really, this guy needed something over his wound more than I needed a shirt. I slipped the remains of my shirt over my head, and tore it into pieces. I tied the pieces together, and after putting a small amount directly on the wound, I wrapped the tied pieces around his shoulder, as tightly as I could. He grimaced a little, but I could tell he would be all right. Once I was finished. I took a minute to rest, my head hanging down, and my hands on my knees. 

I heard someone yell something, and I slowly stood back up. I couldn’t be sure, but it sounded different then the yells of battle. The men around me that were conscious started to protest, several of them looking away from me. I blushed, knowing that I was a little indecent, and Koza moved around, trying to take off his shirt for me. 

“I’ll find another one, just stay still and recuperate!” I yelled at him as I headed back out. I needed to find out what that yell was, and, I needed to find my friends.

“CROCODILE!!!”

I stopped in my tracks. I had clearly heard it that time, and I ran as fast as I could toward Luffy’s voice.

I made my way towards where the sound had come, noting that I was nearing the staircase that headed back up to the palace courtyard. As I made my way through the dust, a large falcon landed right in front of me, with Luffy setting down Vivi, and hopping off it’s back. I tried to speak, but my voice was hoarse from all the yelling I had been doing, so I just stood there, taking in the sight of my friends as they all came together. All of them looked like they had been through the ringer, and they were still raring to go, to help Vivi finish this.

“You’re all okay!” Vivi said emotionally. 

“But, where’s Kia?” Chopper asked, looking around. 

I was so happy to see them all, and of course, I could feel my exhaustion take over. I stumbled forward, determined to make it to them. I was closest to Luffy, so I focused on making it to him, careening forward, and grabbing on to him.

“Kia?!” Luffy cried out, catching me, and keeping me upright. I nodded, unable to clear my throat to speak. I was so happy to see them, that I just hugged Luffy tightly. I could hear everyone else saying something, but I could only hear Luffy as he hugged me back and said, “I’m so glad you’re all right, now we’re all here!” Somehow, that realization gave me the energy to stand, and I let go of Luffy, to wipe my tear filled eyes. “But, why is your shirt missing?”

I suddenly remembered that I was only in my bra, a nude colored one at that, and I ducked behind Luffy, to try to cover myself. Most everyone looked at me in confusion, but Sanji had his tongue hanging out, like he was panting. 

“Um, I lost my shirt in the fighting!” I said quickly. And several of the others nodded along, as if that made total sense. Sanji took off his jacket and was coming forward to give it to me, when something was placed around my shoulders. I looked up into Luffy’s face as he smiled. 

“There you go.” He turned back around to face everyone else and apologized. “I’m sorry I lost, but I’ll beat that Croc guy this time!”

“Go get him Luffy,” Zoro said, utmost confidence in our captain.

“If you can’t beat him, who can?” Usopp shouted.

I quickly put my arms through the sleeves of Luffy’s vest, and buttoned it up, so that I was covered. Sanji looked disappointed as he put his jacket back on, though how he could wear it in this heat, I had no idea. Perhaps he just didn’t want to lose it.

Luffy stretched his arms up, looking up at the figure above us. He rocketed himself up, hollering “Crocodile!!” I watched, but soon he was out of sight. Giving a sigh, I turned to look at the others, and seeing Vivi, remembered what I was going to tell her.

“Everyone, we only have ten minutes -” Vivi started before she was interrupted by a shout.

“Found you Princess Vivi!” the shout rang out, and we looked around wildly. We were surrounded by Baroque Works men, all armed and ready to cut us down. 

“Oh no, the billions!” Vivi cried.

“We bring back your head, and we’ll all get a big promotion,” one of the men leered at Vivi, sword at the ready.

“Ten minutes minus… how long will these guys take?” Sanji asked Zoro.

“You’re wasting time talking,” Zoro grumbled back.

The two faced off with the billions, and said in unison, “Two seconds!” They raced forward cutting and kicking men left and right, plowing through the billions in record time. I watched in awe, their strength was really unbelievable.

“Everyone scatter!!”someone yelled, and I turned back around, just in time to see the backs of all my friends as they ran away, all in different directions.

“WAIT!!” I screamed, but no one stopped. I stood there for a moment in shock. “Crap.” I said, realizing that I hadn’t told anyone of where the cannon was. _Now what should I do? Go chasing after someone? Go to the clock tower and try to find them nearby?_

I decided to go towards the clock tower, and hope to find someone on the way. It was much harder than it should have been, with the fighting everywhere, and the dust and sand still in the air. At times I couldn’t even see the clock tower, so I knew it took me much longer to get there than it should have.

The next time I looked up to make sure I was going the correct way, I saw the streak of red in the sky, which must have been Usopp’s signal. That meant that everyone was on their way to the clock tower, and I had to hurry!!

I turned another corner, and found myself at a dead end. I turned back to go another way, but my path was blocked, by three men. I took off running, hoping to outrun them, but they easily caught me. I started screaming, but one of them grabbed my throat, cutting off my wind pipe.

I tried to stay calm, thinking of how the marines were in the square, and soon Crocodile would be defeated, and the rain would come. There were plenty of people who would help me then. I didn’t want to distract any of the crew from what they needed to do… they were ALL needed to get Vivi up to the cannon!

Just then, something swooped down from the sky, landing behind the men. It was Pell!! He pulled out his sword, and made quick work of them. He helped me stand, and I tried to speak, but could only manage to cough.

“Vi…vi!” cough,cough, “She needs,” cough, “you!” He looked concerned, and I tried to clear my throat. “Clock tower! Cannon ball… explodes! Thanks, but please go!”

I gave him a slight push, hoping that was enough to get the message across. He transformed and took flight again. I just hoped he wasn’t too late. I watched until I couldn’t see him any longer, and then I made my way towards the clock tower again. I felt like I was getting close, but I was so tired, I thought I might just sit down and rest. I leaned against a wall, getting my breath back, when a huge explosion ripped through the sky above. It was close enough that air tore through the streets, pushed from the blast, but thankfully, far enough away that the kingdom was saved. I slid down the wall to sit, enjoying the happiness I was feeling that my friends had succeeded.

I smiled to myself, thinking, _just one more minute, then I need to get up._ I don’t know how many times I said it, but I continued to sit there, mentally and physically exhausted. I thought about what the others had been through, and I made a note to get Zoro to help me figure out a training schedule so that I could have more endurance.

Then, slowly, the rain began to fall. I tilted my head back, enjoying the falling rain on my face. Back home, I was used to the rain falling almost every day, and I had missed it. As the rain fell, the dust settled, and the voices of the battle dimmed.

Pretty soon, I could hear Usopp shouting, “Hey, I’m not a sack of potatoes! Let go!” and I grinned. Somehow, they had found me. 

“Kia!!” Chopper yelled, and came barreling towards me. He landed right in my lap, and we gave each other a big hug. “You’re okay! I was so worried!”

“Yeah, I’m okay,” I replied, ruffling his fur. “I’m sorry, I didn’t make it to the clock tower,” I said to all of them. “I got detained my some Baroque Works guys, and that falcon guy- Pell, he saved me. I couldn’t get there fast enough, so I sent him ahead.”

They all gave me strange looks, and I asked, “What?” 

Nami answered, sitting down beside me. “I guess we owe him twice then,” she said softly. “He saved you, then he saved all of us.” 

We were quiet for a moment, and Sanji said, “Oh, there he is,” which had us all looking in the direction he was facing. Coming towards us, was King Cobra, carrying Luffy on his back. Luffy looked like he was passed out. 

Cobra came to a stop in front of us, looking us all over, recognition dawning when his eyes met mine, and asked, “Who _are_ you people?”

Sanji stepped forward, looking grateful and slightly embarrassed. “That guy on your back, is our friend. Thank you for taking care of him, and we’ll take him off your hands.”

“Ah, so you must be the pirates who helped Vivi return to Alabasta.”

“Huh? Mister, who are you?”

Before Cobra could answer, Vivi came racing around the corner, overjoyed to see us all. “You guys! You’re okay! And Papa!!”

“Papa? Aah!” Sanji had a minor heart attack, “You’re Vivi’s father??”

“I guess that makes you the king,” Zoro said, stating the obvious.

Everyone spoke for a little bit longer, before Sanji and Nami convinced Vivi that we would meet up with them later at the palace. Now, they needed to go speak to their people. As they turned to go, I spoke up. “Hey Vivi?” She turned back to look at me. “If you could have people on the lookout for Luffy’s hat too, that would be great. He’ll freak out if he doesn’t have it when he wakes up.”

Vivi gave me a smile and a thumbs up, and she and her father headed back to the square. Once they were out of sight, the rest of the crew followed our example and crashed to the ground. I was finally feeling up to moving, but instead I let them all rest.

I stayed where I was, even as the marines came by, and several of the men were ready to capture us all. I snuck a peek at Tashigi as she ordered her men to stand down. They continued by us, the men at the end carrying out the unconscious form of Crocodile.

 

* * * * *

 

Vivi looked around at her people, hardly believing that they had finally made it to this point that she had dreamed of for so long. Not only that, but Igaram, was here, alive! It was truly a day of miracles!

She thought she was cried out, but as the people, as one voice cried out, “Long live Alabasta!” she felt the tears pricking her eyes yet again. 

Vivi followed her father’s example and walked among the people, giving cheer where she could, and condolences where she must. She ran over to what looked like an area where the wounded had gathered, hoping to be able to help in some way, and ran directly into-

“Koza!” Vivi shouted, overjoyed to see her friend. He was injured, but he was standing, so that was a good sign. “How badly are you hurt?” 

Koza smiled at her. “Nothing that won’t heal, with time. Thanks to your friend.” Vivi looked at him in confusion, and he explained. “Your friend, that you sent with me… Kia?”

“Oh!” Vivi felt like face palming. That all seemed forever ago, so much had happened. “She helped you then?”

“She saved me,” Koza corrected, "and most of the men you see here.” He gestured around at the men being treated for wounds. “She not only stopped the man that shot me, she bandaged my wounds, and brought me to a place safe from the fighting. Then she went to find you, and her friends, but she kept coming back, leading and dragging wounded men from the battle field, tearing her own clothes to make bandages… It was inspiring Vivi. Please thank her for us.”

Vivi found herself holding back tears yet again. “You can thank her yourself, when you come to the palace to get looked at.”

Koza shook his head. “I’m fine, and I need to get to Yuba. I don’t know what had happened there, but I know that stubborn old man will be trying to fix it, and I need to help. But, don’t worry, I’ll let you know how we’re doing.”

“You’d better,” Vivi answered, giving him a hug.


	32. Goodbye Vivi, Hello Robin!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter, but I really wanted to be done with Alabasta, and move on! There's so much more exciting things to get to!!

I opened my eyes slowly, seeing that it was still dark, and wondering what time it was. Next to me, Nami was still asleep, and as I sat up, I took stock of the rest of the crew. They were all still asleep, though it looked as if several of them weren’t used to sleeping in beds. Sanji was on the ground with his legs up in the air, Zoro was so sprawled out, he was covering part of Sanji’s bed too, Luffy also was sprawled, his mouth open wide and snoring, and Usopp was the oddest- his face pressed into the mattress with his butt and one foot in the air.

I giggled quietly, shaking my head at the scene. Sensing something behind me, I looked around and saw Vivi, sitting in a chair at the window behind the beds, watching the rain fall.

“You didn’t have to stay up and watch over us,” I spoke in hushed tones, so as not to wake anyone else. She turned her head to face me, with a smile.

“It’s not that, not really. I just can’t seem to stop watching the rain fall. It’s been so long since I’ve seen it.” She stood then, walking from bed to bed and pulling up the blankets to cover our comrades. I knelt in bed, moving to lean on the headboard and look out the window at the rain. 

“The whole country probably feels the same as you do,” I commented. 

“Yes, I’m sure,” she replied, returning to her seat and looking out once more. “Things could have gone so badly, but so many people are alive, thanks to all of you.” 

“You ensured most of that yourself, Vivi.”

She smiled at me, a gesture of thanks, but she continued. “I saw Koza this afternoon, and he told me to relay his thanks to you.”

“Oh, that was nice of him.”

She rolled her eyes at me, “Since neither of you are forthcoming, I’ll just ask, I suppose. Will you tell me what happened?”

I rolled my eyes back at her, but smiled. “I guess I can, though it isn’t really exciting…” Vivi nodded, and I told her of my exploits after Koza and I had left her in the palace courtyard. 

I didn’t go into too much detail, but she giggled when I told her of the loss of my shirt, “so that’s why!” she commented. And when I explained about being caught by Baroque Works and being saved by Pell, she smiled, in a soft and sad manner. 

“I just wish I could thank him, for everything. He was not only a hero, but a good friend.”

“When you do thank him, make sure to convey mine as well,” I said. Vivi looked at me confused, but I just smiled. She obviously thought that I hadn’t heard about his death, and I let her continue in that assumption. I didn’t want to go into it now, but I also didn’t want to pretend that he was dead. So I changed the subject. “I wonder where my sisters are now,” I said, peering out the window. “Zoro said Reese is with the Marines, and Sanji said Ash is with Hawk-eye, and Dru… well the point is, they could be in one of the blues, or even travelling the Grand Line. They could literally be anywhere in the world right now.”

“That’s true…”

Vivi’s tone caught my attention, and I turned to look at her. “What is it?” I asked.

“Oh,” she replied. “I was just wondering… when you find them, are you going to leave the crew?” 

“Well… yeah. That was the deal I made with Luffy.”

“Won’t it be difficult, to just leave your friends behind?” she asked, looking uncertain. 

“Vivi…” I said, realizing what she was really thinking about. “are we still talking about me?” 

“Oh! I mean, o- of course!” she quickly covered her mouth, and we looked around, hoping no one would wake up. 

“That’s a hard decision for anyone,” I finally replied. “deciding between home with family, and adventure with friends. Everyone has different reasons to stay or go. I guess each of us has to decide which is best for us.”

“And for you?”

I thought for a moment before answering. “I guess, I don’t really think of myself as a pirate, and I’m weak… I can’t fight. I’m more worried that I’ll be a burden, or someone will get hurt because of me.”

I looked back at the others, still sleeping soundly. “I’d better get back to bed,” I said. “They’ll be waking up soon and making all sorts of noise.”

“That’s true. I should get some sleep as well,” Vivi said as she stood. She mumbled something that I thought might have been goodnight, and she looked troubled as she walked out of the room.

 

* * * * *

 

“Kia,” a voice called.

I glanced up from my notes, and Chopper stopped speaking as Vivi came into the room, followed by an older man that I didn’t recognize.

“Oh, Tony, I’m glad you’re here too.” Vivi turned to the man beside her, saying, “Doctor Furo, this is Tony Tony Chopper, the doctor I was telling you about.” Turning back to Chopper, she introduced, “Tony, this is Doctor Furo, the head doctor at the palace. When he heard about your treatments of the crew, he wanted to meet you.”

Doctor Furo came forward, looking curiously at the medicine compound that Chopper was currently mixing, and that I was taking notes on. 

“And, that’s it Kia. Now it’s ready to either be bottled, or applied. And what will it treat?”

I shuffled papers around, looking for the beginning of my notes where I had written it, as I wanted to be sure and give the correct answer. 

“No, Kia, come on…” he urged, and I stopped looking at my notes.

“Um… for abrasions… cuts… and other minor wounds, preventing infection and speeding up recovery.”

“Yes!”

I grinned, relieved, and made a note at the top of my page in parenthesis, “neosporin,” to help me remember for the long term. 

Doctor Furo started to praise Chopper, for his medicine making skills being so practical and innovative, and once Vivi stated that we came from Drum Kingdom, Doctor Furo was so thrilled, he acted as if Chopper was some sort of celebrity, which in turn had Chopper doing a happy dance while telling Doctor Furo to get lost.

Since we had finished our project, I offered my seat to Doctor Furo, who took it gladly, and he and Chopper began speaking of practices that were still way above my skill level. Vivi pulled me along with a smile, offering me a drink, and I accepted.

“Kia, wait!” Chopper called, and we turned back in question. “Will you check Luffy’s temperature again? I want to see if it has gone down some more.”

“Sure thing, Chopper,” I replied with a salute and a wink, and Vivi and I headed out the door, practically running into Sanji and Usopp on our way out.

“There you are!” Sanji said excitedly. “Usopp and I are heading out to pick up some essentials for the crew. Do you need anything Vivi-love? Kia-darling?” he asked us.

“No thank you Sanji,” Vivi replied. 

“Actually,” I answered, looking down at my clothes. I was still wearing Luffy’s vest and my ripped and blood-stained pants. “I think I’ll need to pick up some more clothes. At this point, all I have are winter clothes from Drum Island, and the dancer outfit Sanji bought earlier.”

“Which looks ravishing on you!” Sanji said with a slightly creepy smile. 

“You definitely need more than that,” Usopp agreed, leaning away from Sanji, giving him a disgusted look. “You should probably come with us, so you can get the right size.”

“Kia, I have an entire closet full, just pick whatever you want,” Vivi said with a grin. “I’d be happy to give you some clothes! Come on, it’ll be fun!” she said enthusiastically tugging on my arm.

“I guess I’m set then,” I said to Usopp, and we waved goodbye as we headed the opposite direction.

We spent what seemed like forever in Vivi’s gigantic closet, trying on so many outfits. There were even clothes that I was certain didn’t fit Vivi, and when I asked about it, she said that they had belonged to her mother, and she couldn’t bear to get rid of them. 

I found a great pair of pants and a t-shirt, and changed into them, thanking Vivi for her generosity. Vivi sent someone to fetch a couple of bags, and began filling them with clothes she insisted I take. I even ended up with a couple of things that I thought may fit Robin, and took those too, telling Vivi that I liked them so much, that I could do some alterations to make them fit better.

We walked back into the bedroom, noting that Luffy was still asleep, and I stowed the bags. We walked over to his bedside and Vivi took the cloth from his forehead. “It doesn’t feel as warm as before,” she said. I reached over to check his temperature with the back of my hand, and just as I did, he rolled over, still asleep.

I tried again, and again, but each time he moved, and Vivi chuckled as I huffed in frustration. I finally climbed up on the bed, ready to wrestle if I needed to. I couldn’t believe he was somehow dodging me while asleep. I held his face in one hand, and triumphantly put my other to his forehead. That’s when he rolled again, taking me with him. 

Vivi laughed out loud at that, seeing me cuddled under Luffy, and unable to free myself. He was practically on top of me, his face in the curve of my neck, and his rubber limbs wrapped around mine, like I was his pillow. I’m sure my face was beet red, as I could feel the heat, but I didn’t say anything, because I was sure if I tried, what would come out was, “aww…” While I was embarrassed to be in the situation, it was really nice to be cuddled.

I heard voices coming towards the room, and both Vivi and I looked over, seeing Chopper followed by Usopp and Sanji come in. They stopped as they noticed my predicament, Usopp and Chopper laughing, and Sanji’s mouth dropping open in shock.

“Kia… that’s an interesting way to check his temperature,” Chopper teased me, and I pouted. 

“Not my fault!” I insisted, and Vivi started laughing again.

“It really isn’t. He kept dodging every attempt to feel his forehead, and she tackled him to get him to stay put. Then this happened,”she said, gesturing to the bed.

“YOU CRAPPY CAPTAIN! HOW DARE YOU!” Sanji exploded, just as Luffy rolled again and sat up suddenly, toppling me over and off the side of the bed.

“Ow!” I yelled as I hit my elbow on the ground.

Sanji, distracted by my yell, but in the middle of a kick towards Luffy’s head, tried to spin towards me, and ended up falling on the ground on other side of the bed. Luffy, oblivious to all of it, punched his arms up in the air, and with a grin yelled, “Wahoo! I slept good!!”

Sanji and I both climbed up, using the bed to help us back to our feet. Looking across the bed, I could see the angry glare he was giving Luffy, and I just smiled at him as I rubbed my elbow. 

“My hat! Where’s my hat?!” Luffy yelled, and Sanji grinned back at me, before reaching over to the bedside table and picking up the straw hat. He slammed it down on Luffy’s head, harder than necessary, though Luffy didn’t seem to mind. 

“It’s right here, stop being so loud. And apologize for hurting Kia!”

“Huh?” Luffy asked, then following Sanji’s look, he turned towards me, and tilted his head in question. 

“Kia? You hurt?”

“Well, you did push me off the bed, but no, I’m okay.” 

“Shi-shi-shi. Sorry!” he grinned. 

I giggled back, “No problem, though Chopper gets to check your temperature from now on.” The rest of us laughed, and though Luffy looked confused, he just shrugged and laughed with us.

“What’s going on in here?” Nami asked as she came into the room, carrying a small stack of books. 

“I’m starving!” Luffy exclaimed. “Sanji! Breakfast!”

“That would be dinner,” Sanji said, “being that it’s evening.

“I’m just glad you finally got well,” Vivi told Luffy with a smile.

“What do you mean, Vivi? I was never not well.”

“You’re covered in bandages, that should give you a clue,” Usopp said with a roll of his eyes.

“You dummy,” Nami added, as she packed up her newly acquired books. “You were in really bad shape after your fight, and you had a high fever. Vivi, Chopper and Kia have been looking after you all this time.”

“Really?” Luffy asked, as he looked at each of us. “Thanks you guys!”

The door opened then, and Zoro walked in. “Oh, hey Luffy, you’re finally up,” he said, as he went to pour himself a drink of water.

“Hi Zoro! Long time no see!” Luffy responded, then sat back with a bewildered expression.

“ZORO, how dare you!” Chopper yelled, rushing over to his side. “You’ve been training, haven’t you?” he accused.

“So what?” Zoro replied.

“So I’m your doctor, and I told you not to! Where are your bandages?!”

“It was hard to move in them.”

“You’re healing! You shouldn’t BE moving!!”

“Chopper, he’s okay,” I stated, going over to stand by him, and looking Zoro over. 

“What? Kia…” 

“Hmph,” Zoro grunted. “Just like I said.”

“You have to explain why,” I said to Chopper. “It’s like muscles,” I told Zoro. “You injure them, breaking them down, so that when they build back up, they become stronger.”

“Exactly,” he sad smugly to Chopper.

“However,” I continued to Zoro, “What happens when you constantly tear the muscles down, without giving them time to rebuild?” I asked. “You become tired more easily, more prone to injury, and the muscle pain stays longer than normal.” Chopper nodded along with me.

Zoro no longer looked smug, as he thought about what I said. Chopper, realizing what I was doing, chimed in. “So, Zoro, from now on, we’ll agree on how long to rest, and I won’t bother you about training too soon again. Deal?”

Zoro nodded, “Deal.”

The door burst open, and a woman entered, the crew in shock. Even I was surprised at how much Terracotta looked like her husband. Another person wheeled in a cart overflowing with fruit as a snack, and Luffy pulled it all into his mouth at once and swallowing before anyone else could grab some.

Vivi and I giggled while Luffy informed Terracotta what was in store for the kitchen, since he wanted to catch up on all the meals he missed while he had been asleep.

Terracotta smiled at the challenge, and escorted us to the dining room. We all waited until Luffy sat down, before choosing seats. Usopp and Zoro sat across from him, thinking that the distance may be to their benefit, while Sanji and Nami sat to his right, knowing that having their food out of his direct line of sight was the better option. Chopper didn’t think much of it all, going right to Vivi’s side. 

I shrugged and sat on Luffy’s left, which put me next to Igaram, and across from Chaka. Once the food was served, Igaram passed dishes to me, and after handing them to Luffy, they were gone. I leaned over and suggested he pass them the other direction so that more people could enjoy them before Luffy got to them. 

I was definitely an enabler, though. Stealing food was a part of Luffy, as surely as being rubber was, and I had figured out that if I left food for him to snatch on one side of my plate, he would leave the other side alone… usually. It also helped that I would leave most of the meat for him, whereas most of the vegetables were for myself. 

Right from the beginning, dinner was a noisy affair. Luffy would get his hands smacked, but it didn’t deter him. Usopp finally had enough, and put flaming hot sauce on a rice ball, just before Luffy snatched it. Luffy jumped up, breathing fire, and hopping around. Once he sat down again, the servers brought another dozen dishes out, and Luffy was eating just what was in front of him again. The rest of the crew recognized the respite, and tried to eat as much as they could, as fast as they could.

“O, bubba ha heep, wub? Bah ba bub ber beebeep ab.” Luffy spoke to the king with his mouth overly stuffed with food.

I glanced at King Cobra. The look of shock and confusion on his face had me smiling.

“Wap?!” 

“Yes Luffy, that’s right,” I answered. “Though you should wait until after dinner to chat with the king.”

“Nba!” 

He turned back to the food, practically inhaling it. Cobra cleared his throat, and asked me, “You understood what he said?” 

I chuckled as I cut my stuffed pasta, and I nodded.. “He didn’t realize you were Vivi’s father before, so that’s what he was asking.”

“How?” he asked, and I laughed. 

“I have sisters,” I said, as if that would explain everything.

“I don’t have sisters.”

I looked back at Luffy, seeing he had stopped eating and looked as if he was trying to decide something. Then he shrugged and starting stuffing his face again.

Chopper started choking from eating too fast, Zoro called out for more drinks, Usopp failed to keep his food out of Luffy’s reach, and Sanji started asking for recipes. And during it all, Vivi was wearing a grin, if not laughing out loud.

In Straw hat fashion, it was soon a party, everyone- even the guards- were laughing and enjoying themselves. After everything had been cleaned up, several servants came and escorted us to the baths. Nami and I followed Vivi, recounting some of the funnier things that occurred at dinner.

Walking into the baths, Nami and I were amazed, turning in a slow circle to take in everything. The bath was huge, more like natural hot springs from home. Walking over to a bench, we saw clean clothes laid out for us, and the three of us were quick to shed our dirty ones.

It was a custom I wasn’t used to, washing outside of the bath, getting clean, and then soaking in the water, but it made sense. I hurried as quickly as I could, wanting to get to the soaking part as quick as I could. And… because I knew we’d have company.

I glanced up at the wall before removing my towel, making sure the guys weren’t early, then got in the water. I decided to go to the far side of the statue in the center, because I’d be able to hide behind it once they started peeping.

“Kia, I had a thought,” Vivi said, and I turned around to come back to the edge. I laid down with my arms resting on the edge of the bath, so that I could face Vivi and Nami.

“Hmm?” I asked, deciding this was okay. I could relax now, and when the guys came peeking, I’d just curl my legs in, and all they would see is my back.

“Kia?” 

I looked over as my name was called again, and I smiled. “Sorry, I just was thinking what I would do if someone came in here.”

“I wouldn’t put it past Sanji to try,” Nami said with a roll of her eyes.

“With father and Igaram there, I doubt he could,” Vivi answered. “Anyway, I’ve been thinking since our conversation last night.”

“Oh?” I asked. “What about?” 

“You had said that your sisters could be anywhere in the world, and if they are traveling, they may eventually stop here in Alabasta. It’s a remote chance, but I thought you may want to write a letter, in case they stop here at some point.”

“Vivi… that’s a great idea!” I said excitedly. “It would smart to leave letters with people we trust anywhere we go. It could help us reunite.” I looked over with a grin, seeing Vivi beaming. 

“I’m so glad you agree.”

“I would hug you, but uh… maybe later when we’re not naked.”

“I wish there was a ship with a huge bath like this,” Nami commented.

“The world is a big place, I’m sure there is…”

“Or,” I cut in, “once you find treasure, you can build one on the Merry.”

Nami gave me a considering look. “I’m practical enough to know the Merry won’t last forever as she is now, but maybe we could get her outfitted and improved so she’ll make it all the way. It’s something to think about at least.” She glanced back to Vivi, who was washing her back. “Let’s switch,” she offered.

They both stood, and moved to trade, and that’s when Vivi let out a shriek. “What are you guys doing?!?!”

I immediately pulled my legs in under me, huddling at the side of the bath, very glad that I was in the water, though I had been distracted, and who knew how long they had all been there?

“You asked for it,” Nami said, then opened her towel in their direction, yelling, “Happiness Punch!”

As if it was an actual punch, every single one of them fell off the wall they were hanging on. Vivi yelled, “NAMI!!” in shock, and I just laughed as she pulled her towel closed and shrugged. 

She turned back to the wall and shouted, “Every one of you now owes me 100,000 beri!”

 

* * * * *

 

I left Nami and Vivi in the baths and hurried back to our room. I didn’t have much time, and I wanted to give myself plenty of time to write a letter, and finish my present for Vivi that I had been working on in secret. 

I finished the present first, and tucked it underneath my pillow, knowing that eventually she would get it, and hopefully it would help with the sadness of missing friends. Then I sat and started writing ideas for my letter. I knew I couldn’t say anything straight out, but I also knew my own limitations. I wouldn’t be able to make it coded or anything, but at least I could tell them that I was safe, and looking for them… and maybe a few other things.

Everyone began trickling in, and Nami got everyone’s attention and announced that we should leave tonight.

As expected, there was some surprise, but once they all thought about it, the decision made the most sense. 

Before anything else, a servant came in with a transponder snail, and Luffy had an enlightening conversation with Bon Clay. Everyone began packing their things, and I hurried to finish my letter, as Nami explained to Vivi how she could join the crew if that was what she wanted. Luffy tried his best to convince Vivi to just come with us now, and she smiled at his enthusiasm.

“To get there by morning, you’ll need help,” she said, leading us through the palace, to the SuperSonic Duck Squadron’s headquarters.

Luffy immediately jumped up on Ivan X, since he was the tallest, and everyone else calmly climbed aboard one of the squadron. 

“Chopper? Ride with me?” I asked, and he nodded. I handed Vivi my letter, and gave her a hug. “Thank you Vivi. Whatever you decide, we’ll always be friends,” I said, and Chopper and I climbed up on Bourbon Jr. Thanking him for his help, and he nodded giving us a loud quack. 

“He said, he’s happy to help us, since we helped Vivi,” Chopper translated for me. 

“Get them there safely you guys,” Vivi said to the ducks, and with that we headed off towards the Sandora river, waving to Vivi as we left.

 

* * * * *

 

I walked up the gangplank, following Zoro, and making sure I stayed away from Bon Clay. I couldn’t explain why, but I just didn’t want him to have the ability to clone me. I headed down to the girl’s room, unpacking all my new clothes in the closet. I put a couple of outfits out on the bed, as if I was deciding what to wear, but these were the clothes for Robin. 

Hearing a yell, I made my way back on deck, wondering where Robin had been hiding. I looked around, seeing that Bon Clay’s ship was now beside us, and Luffy, Usopp and Chopper were all dancing around the deck with Bon Clay. 

It didn’t take long for Nami to get everyone sailing, and we made our way downriver. As we reached the open water, we could see the Navy ships practically upon us, from every direction. With a BOOM, something flew from a ship’s cannon towards us. Luffy went to bounce it back, but deflated his gum-gum balloon when he saw it was a giant iron spear, not a cannonball. It sunk into the Merry’s hull, and Usopp screamed.

Usopp and Chopper started running for the stairs, and I stopped Usopp, explaining that I would help Chopper, and that he needed to stay and man the cannon, since the others wouldn’t be able to protect the ship as well as they normally could. He agreed finally, but he didn’t like it.

I ran downstairs, calling for Chopper, and joining him. We stayed busy, as spear after spear crashed into the ship creating holes. Chopper ran up to the deck to yell at the guys. I didn’t see him for awhile, but I kept working, knowing that Bon Clay was proving his friendship by being a decoy for us.

Once the yelling stopped, I put down the hammer and nails, and headed up. I could see that we were at the East port, and everyone was looking for Vivi.

“That was Vivi’s voice,” Zoro said.

“It’s the broadcast from Alubarna,” Sanji said. “She’s not coming.”

“No way!” Luffy pouted. “That was just someone pretending to be Vivi!”

“We’d better go,” Nami added quietly. “It’s past noon already.

“No! She’s coming!” Luffy insisted. “We just need to go ashore and look for her!!”

“Ahh! The Navy!” Usopp shouted from the the other side of the ship.

“Set sail! Take the helm!” Nami called out, and Luffy grumbled.

“YOU GUYS!!”

Everyone turned, able to see Vivi and Karoo, waving wildly.

“I knew it!” Luffy cheered, as the others started grinning and cheering.

“I CAME TO SAY GOODBYE!”

The cheering stopped, and everyone deflated. I walked closer, straining to hear her, but then her voice was clear through the broadcast megaphones.

“Thank you for everything! I want to continue the journey with you… but when it comes down to it… I LOVE THIS KINGDOM!!! SO I CAN’T GO! BUT WHEN WE SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN, WILL YOU STILL SAY I’M PART OF YOUR CREW?!”

Luffy was smiling now, as he understood that this was what Vivi had to do to make her own dream come true. “SOMEDAY WE’LL--” 

He broke off as Nami covered his mouth, explaining how confirming their friendship in front of the navy would be a problem for her. They all turned around, and since I was leaning against the mast watching the scene, I could see the sadness on their faces as they turned away from her.

“This sucks,” Luffy grumbled. “I want to tell her she’ll always be part of our crew!”

“She knows,” Usopp said. He stuck his arm out to Luffy, showing the large X drawn there. “We all still have our marks-- the symbols of our friendship. She has one too, so she knows.”

“That’s it! Everyone! Show Vivi your marks!”

Luffy immediately punched his left hand in the air, and Nami and Usopp were quick to follow. Chopper jumped up on the railing looking up to ensure his could be seen between his antlers. Zoro and Sanji were last, as each were wearing long sleeves. Zoro merely pushed his out of the way, joining the crew with a shrug, and Sanji followed after he unbuttoned his cuffs, taking care of his clothes even in his haste.

I was enjoying the moment, it had always been one of my favorites, my eyes sweeping from one side to the other. Landing on Zoro’s face, he was giving me a stern glare, and a second of confusion, I realized I was supposed to be in line with them. I rushed over, and Zoro made room next to Chopper for me and I threw my arm up as well. 

We stood there for awhile, not realizing how far we getting away from the shore. Zoro looked around, and finally put his arm down. “Looks like we lost the Navy,” he said. Looking back, he gave me a look. I turned and saw the rest of the crew sitting in misery, crying.

“What’s wrong with you?” He demanded.

“WE MISS VIVI!” they all shouted back with a sniffle.

“It’s your own fault,” Zoro said, and I raised my own eyebrow at that. “You shouldn’t have given her the choice, and just kidnapped her.”

“Barbarian!”

“Mean!”

“Moss head.”

“Three sword style.”

“Wait Luffy, that’s not an insult…” Usopp corrected.

“Oh… four sword style.”

“I give up,” Usopp said, defeated.

“It’s okay guys, he misses her too, he’s just got to be macho,” I said with a smirk, and Zoro glared at me.

Before he could retort, the door below decks opened. “Finally. I thought you’d never leave that oversized sandbox.”

Everyone reacted instantly except for Luffy, and myself. I watched Robin walk out onto the deck, pleased that she had chosen one of the outfits I had laid out, long pants and a tank top, with a small bolero style jacket. 

“How long have you been on board?” Nami demanded.

“Oh, quite a while actually. I was below deck reading a bit, took a nap, and a shower. I borrowed these clothes. Are they yours?” Robin replied calmly, pulling out a deck chair from the storage room.

“Uh… no, they’re not.” Nami looked over at me, and Robin’s gaze followed hers. When she spotted me, I gave a little wave and a smile.

“Well then, thank you… Kiana, wasn’t it?”

“That’s me,” I replied. “Feel free to keep them, I was going to have to do some heavy alterations otherwise.” It was apparent, as we stood talking, she was a good six inches taller, and it seemed like it was all leg.

“Thank you,” she replied. 

“Kia, you know her?” Luffy asked, and the rest of the crew were glaring, with the exception of Sanji of course.

“Yes, she took me to the capital while you were fighting Crocodile, right after we were pulled off the mover crab,” I said, and several of them nodded, remembering.

They were quiet, and Robin took the opportunity to speak. “Monkey D. Luffy… I can’t stop thinking about what you did to me.”

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!?” Sanji hollered at Luffy.

“I didn’t do anything, don’t lie!” Luffy retorted.

“Take responsibility. You made me suffer a great deal.”

“Luffy…” Sanji threatened, and Luffy grumbled at the trouble Robin was causing him. 

“What do you want, anyway?” he asked.

Robin put her chin in her hand and smiled. “I want to join your crew.”


	33. Travel and random encounters

“Island up ahead! Can you guys hear me?” Nami shouted from above us.

I could hear the guys- Luffy running and shouting, Zoro and Sanji fighting… same as every morning. Since Nami was on watch, I got to use the bed, which meant I slept fantastically! I sat up and looked around, but Robin was nowhere in sight.

As I looked though, I realized we hadn’t cleaned up in a while. It was hard to say, after all the rush and excitement of Alabasta, then Robin joining. If I thought our room was needing cleaning, the boys room was probably disgusting, though Sanji usually kept it from being too bad.

Once we reached the island, we all piled out and onto the shore. Though, it looked like Robin was still keeping to herself, I noticed. I strode forward to stand by Nami. 

“Nothing seems out of the ordinary,” she said. 

“No, it looks pretty quiet.”

“Hey, Nami!”

She looked up, just as a pineapple shaped fruit came dropping down into her arms. She picked it up, looking it over, as Sanji jumped down from the tree in front of us. 

“These fruits will help replenish our food supply, there are lots of them! And I’m sure there are other plants we can use as well.”

“Great!” Nami replied. “Then it will be your job to find what we can use as food.”

“If we’re handing out jobs,” I said. “I’d like to stay and clean today. This is the first chance we’d had to recuperate since Alabasta.”

“Good idea Kia, though I think we should leave someone on watch since you’ll be below decks.”

I shrugged, since that wouldn’t bother me. Nami walked over and picked up a small stick, breaking it into four small pieces. “And for the rest of you,” she said to the boys without jobs, “here.” She held out her hand with what looked like four sticks of the same size.

Chopper took one, looking at it in confusion, while Nami kept talking. “The three shortest will spend the day collecting the food that Sanji finds, while the one with the longest stick will have the duty of staying on watch. We don’t want anything happening to the ship while we’re busy.”

“And when exactly did you become the captain?” Zoro asked angrily.

“Someone has to do it,” Nami retorted, as Luffy held up the three sticks he grabbed.

“I got the most, so I win!” he said.

“Do I really need to explain further?” Nami asked.

“Not at all…” the Zoro, Usopp and Chopper answered, while Luffy laughed and I giggled.

“Wait, but what’s Kia doing?” Luffy asked as they got ready to head out to the island’s interior.

“I’m cleaning the ship, and doing laundry,” I answered, and I turned to walk back to the ship with Chopper, who had gotten the long stick. “Oh, and that means everyone takes a bath tonight.”

Luffy’s face pulled down, but then he was happy again. “Everyone is going to take a bath with me? That will be fun!”

“No, you idiot…” I could hear Nami answer, while Sanji said… “Ooh, that _would_ be fun- without you guys, of course.”

 

* * * * *

 

The day went by rather quickly, as there was plenty of work to do. I completed the laundry first, so that it could spend the afternoon drying in the sun. Then I tackled the boys room, which was not as horrible as I feared. As I finished the bedrooms and went into the kitchen, I could see Robin and Chopper leaving with one of our fresh water barrels, so I took the opportunity to clean the storage room/ doctor’s office, and besides, the kitchen was spotless. 

After putting the laundry away, I swabbed the deck, and took a shower, then made a bath for Luffy. He was more likely to get in if it was all ready for him. I walked to the deck, brushing out damp hair and called for Luffy, Zoro and Usopp.

Zoro and Usopp were practically dragging Luffy, but they made it into the bathroom. It wasn’t that we didn’t trust Luffy, but no one wanted him to accidentally drown. I had clean clothes and towels inside, so I waited for their dirty ones. Luffy came to the door to hand them to me, and I averted my eyes.

“Thanks Luffy,” I said. I could hear Zoro hit him, and yelling about being naked in front of girls. I chuckled, as I thought of Zoro giving Luffy _the talk._

I washed the rest of the clothes and hung them up, finishing just as Sanji walked by, his arms full.

“Need help Sanji?” I asked.

“No thank you Kia-darling. But we are eating down on the beach tonight, so you can come with me.”

“Oh, okay. You go ahead, I need to grab some things.” I went back to the bedroom, grabbing a notebook and a pencil. I was in the middle of that drawing of Crocodile that I had the idea to do from before, and I wanted to finish it.

I grabbed a chair and put it next to Robin’s, sitting down. She glanced up at me, and gave me a small smile.

“What are you reading?” I asked, as I got myself comfortable.

“It is called the Rainbow Mist,” she said. “A series of books describing a phenomenon that I am uncertain is fact or fiction.”

“What does the author state it is?” I asked.

“Fact. It is strange that I have never heard of it before, in all of my travels, but then again, anything is possible.”

I looked over at the glowing fire. “Don’t you want to be closer to the fire?” I asked her. She looked up and then over at her candle. 

“I am fine here. I can’t remember the last time I was able to simply relax and read. It’s something I enjoy very much.”

“I guess I can understand that,” I said, holding up my notebook.

“What is that?” she asked curiously. I turned it around, holding it out. “Is that… Crocodile?” she asked with a smirk.

“Well, yeah. This moment is stuck in my head, and I needed to draw it. While I don’t like him, he does have a certain bad guy appeal.”

“Bad guy appeal?” she asked with a laugh.

“Yeah,” I defended. “I’m sure you have met plenty of so-called bad guys that were just pathetic. Baroque Works had plenty of them. But Crocodile, he’s got… I don’t know… the arrogance, the looks, the brain… everything a true bad guy needs to be effective.”

“If he had known what you thought, he probably would have kept you around,” she teased me.

“Yeah, well. He was still a jerk. Most people who want power are.”

Robin was silent after that, looking over at the fire as the rest of the crew gathered to eat. “You should join them.” 

“Huh?” I asked, following her gaze. “Yeah, WE should.” 

She gave me that small, sad smile of hers again. “I appreciate the thought, but I prefer to be alone. You should join your friends.” She said it with finality, and went back to reading her book.

I sighed, but decided not to push her. She’d get there eventually. I stood and walked over to the fire, where someone had cut down a tree and placed four large pieces around the fire to sit on. Chopper was sitting alone, so I went to join him. Usopp and Luffy were to my left, and Sanji and Zoro next to them. The fourth was empty, as Nami was inspecting their day’s labors.

“Please explain why you weren’t able to gather even a single piece of fruit,” she asked Luffy and Usopp.

“Um, that’s a good question… “ Luffy said as he ate. “What’s your answer?” 

“I told you, I was being attacked… by a huge condor that was trying to claw my face off!” Usopp’s theatrics had him overbalancing and falling on his back over the log he was sitting on. “I tried my best, but… I guess it wasn’t good enough… and now… I’m dead,” he gave a death scene complete with ketchup star to look like blood. 

Chopper and I stood and clapped, and I yelled, “Bravo!” to which Luffy laughed.

Nami walked over behind Zoro and saw his basket was overflowing with fruit. “I have to say, I’m impressed, Zoro,” she complimented. “Since you’re so competent, you should gather fruit for Luffy and Usopp too.”

Zoro choked on his food, spitting his mouthful out on the sand. “What?!” he cried.

“Oh I just love how adorable Nami is…” Sanji said wistfully. “Especially when she’s yelling at everyone!”

“Just shut up, you moron!” Zoro snapped at him.

“You want to go, moss head?!?” Sanji retorted, and they glared at each other.

“Calm down you two!” Nami said, pushing them away from the other, and making them fall over. The rest of us started laughing as they sat back up, sullen. They went back to eating, and Nami finally sat down with her own dinner.

I finished my own, and moved down to sit in the sand, using the log as a back rest, and pulled out my notebook. I continued sketching as the others kept talking.

“What is that, Kia?” Chopper asked looking over my shoulder. “Aah! Crocodile!”

That got everyone’s attention, and they all looked over at me in question, and I felt a little embarrassed. “Uh, yeah. There was just this moment, where he looked just like what I always pictured pirates to be, and I wanted to remember it.”

“Can I see?” Nami asked, as she came and sat by me. I held out the picture so she could see, but she just snatched the book from my hands. Luffy and Usopp came to stand behind her, and even Sanji and Zoro were curious enough to look over. “I didn’t know you were such a good artist, Kia.” Nami said as she looked at the picture.

“Yeah Kia,” Luffy said while eating whatever he could snatch from the others’ discarded plates. “That looks like a picture! But you know… not…”

I couldn’t help but smile even as my cheeks heated, especially as Usopp told me that I was almost as good as he was. 

Nami flipped back to the beginning of the book, looking at the drawings I had done of each of them, some normally, some in different outfits, or with different hairstyles.

“Is this me?” Nami asked, pointing to a page. 

“Yep, though obviously a little different,” I answered. It was Nami’s look after the timeskip that I had drawn.

“Hmm, the long hair looks pretty good though,” she mused, “though I don’t know that I’d ever walk around so exposed.”

“Ooh! Let me see Nami!” Sanji cried as he pushed Luffy and Usopp out of the way. “Kia my sweet, that’s fantastic! Can… I keep it?” 

“No way,” Nami said as she turned the page. “These are Kia’s.” Nami looked at the next picture of Sanji, of just his face, a huge grin, his hair pulled back, but his left hand with cigarette in front of the left side of his face, so that his eye was still blocked. Granted, we had all seen his face, and really, it was just a quirk that had his hair seeming to cover one side all the time, but I enjoyed it.

“Kia, these are amazing!” Luffy shouted. “Is there one of me? Is there, is there??” 

“Uh…” Nami flipped another page, and there was Zoro, with long hair, samurai style robe, and that fierce look he gets when he’s excited for a fight. 

“Whoa!” Luffy and Usopp shouted, and Sanji sneered. “Zoro looks badass!”

“I think that’s all…” I stammered, as Nami flipped the page again, then glanced over at me with a smug smile. 

“THIS one is very good…” she said, and I know I turned beet red. It was two sketches of Ace, one as he was with a smile, surrounded by flames; and another with him decked out in a black suit with a smirk.

“Yeah, well… that’s all there is!” I said loudly and grabbed the notebook back. 

“Why do you have Ace in there, Kia?” Chopper asked innocently, and I struggled to find an answer as Nami struggled not to laugh. 

“Um, because! Ace is Luffy’s brother, and we’re all like a family, so it’s kinda like Ace is my brother too!” It was the worst possible explanation, and the looks from everyone but Luffy and Chopper let me know that. 

“Oh! That’s true!” Chopper said.

“If Ace is your brother, does that mean, I’m your brother too?” Luffy asked, picking his nose. 

“Luffy, I wouldn’t want anyone else for a brother,” I said in complete honesty, and Luffy cheered. 

“That’s awesome!! Ace will be so happy to have a sister!” he shouted.

“I don’t think happy is the word…” Nami said quietly and I shushed her.

“Can I see more pictures?” Luffy asked, and I relented, but refused to give up my hold on the notebook. I’d have to be more careful, since I hadn’t thought, and sketched pictures that hadn’t happened yet. Nami’s looks were easy to write off as imagination, but the sketch of Usopp had his new weapon, and the one of Luffy had his scar, and I couldn’t show those. I flipped through the pages, getting past the ones I couldn’t show, and landed on one of me and my three sisters.

“Who’s that?” Sanji asked, suddenly interested again.

“That’s Kia!” Chopper said as he pointed to the sketch of me. 

“That’s Reese,” Luffy said with a grin, pointing. 

“Oh, I see…” Sanji replied. “And there is Miss Ashley.” 

“So the tallest one must be Dru,” Nami said, studying the drawing. “I guess I expected you all to look more alike,” she said.

“Seeing my parents kind of ties us all together,” I answered. “We each have pieces of them.” 

“But your smiles are all the same,” Usopp noted. “Even the shape, as well as the dimples in your cheeks. I bet if we only saw their smile, we’d have no idea which one of you it was.” 

“That’s true,” I said, turning the page. 

“Hey, there’s one ripped out here,” Nami noted, and I nodded. “It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“No, it wasn’t, just something I left for Vivi,” I said softly, and the others were quiet as they remembered our friend.

On the next page was the picture of Crocodile, and the following was one of Robin, though I drew her with several arms all around her body in a circle.

“What… is that?” 

I turned to Nami, and shrugged. “It’s a house,”

“I can see that, Kia, but can you explain? Why is it sitting on top of giant chicken feet?” 

“Huh??” the boys said, trying to get a closer look. 

“It’s from stories my Mom used to tell us. I had a bad dream the other night, and so I drew this, to get it out of my head.”

“A story?!” Luffy’s eyes widened in excitement. “Tell us, tell us!!”

I chucked, “It’s not that kind of story, it was more something to get us to behave, like the boogeyman.”

“Boogeyman?!” Luffy was practically bouncing up and down. “Tell it!!!”

“You don’t have a boogeyman?” I asked Nami, and she shook her head. “You know, stories that parents tell their children… like don’t do that, or the boogeyman will get you?” 

“No, but some people tell stories like that about pirates.”

“Oh, I see. Well, back home, there weren’t any bad pirates, so we had other stories. Most people believed that they were just stories… but the tales were passed down, from parent to child, for hundreds of years.

“No one could say for certain that they were untrue, because any time a child went missing, the elders were quick to say that it was the boogeyman.” 

“Scary…” Chopper said huddling next to me. 

“Cool…” Luffy breathed out, watching me intently.

“In every place, the boogeyman had a different name, but it all came back to the same person. My mom used to say that it was actually an old witch, who was called Boney Legs.”

“Boney Legs??” Usopp said skeptically. “Not very scary.”

“In other lands, she was also called Baba Yaga, but I always knew her as Boney Legs. She live in a hut in the forest, a hut that stood on giant chicken feet. She was old, but very strong, and she lived in an enchanted area of the forest, where the animals could talk, and everything looked so beautiful, that children who found it, couldn’t help but go inside.”

“But… they shouldn’t, right?” Chopper asked.

“No, they shouldn’t,” I agreed. “Because Boney Legs would grab them with her huge hands that didn’t have fingers, they had claws. And they would see she had sharp teeth made out of iron, just before she ate them.” I reached over and dug my nails into Nami’s arm, and she let out a screech!

“AAAHH!!” Chopper and Usopp screamed, and Luffy was hit with Usopp’s flailing arm and knocked back.

“So yeah,” I continued normally. “Mom told me never to go into a stranger’s house, because I might find myself eaten by Boney Legs.”

“Awesome!!” Luffy cheered, still on his back in the sand.

Nami gave me a punch on the shoulder, and I yelled “Ow!” 

“Serves you right,” she said. “If I wake up with a nightmare, you’re going to get it!” I smiled at her, and rubbed Chopper’s back, since he had launched himself into my lap.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a story.”

“It… it is?” he asked tentatively.

“Absolutely. That’s why it’s fun to be scared with a story, because after, you know that it’s just a story.”

“Oh…” he said, then looked up at me with a grin. “Yeah, that was kind of fun!” 

“Fun my butt…” Usopp muttered.

 

* * * * *

 

The next few days were fairly calm, mostly spent fishing, though there was a misadventure with a traveling delivery/salesman who was travelling inside a huge sea snail. It turned out well, after the man pulled out several things for us to try, Nami asked about paper, and he offered us several blank books that were large like sketch pads, as well as a ream of 1000 year paper. 

“Oh!” I said, “these are amazing!”

“Yes, this paper is perfect!” Nami added as she looked at it. We then glanced at each others’ focus and nodded. 

“You should definitely get that!” we said in unison, then started laughing. 

The salesman gave a smug look, and then tearfully told us how rare and expensive our items were. 

“Okay, but how much to sell us these, right here, right now?” I said in response.

“Yes, there’s no price I wouldn’t be willing to pay,” Nami added with a smile,

“WHAT?!?” Luffy, Zoro and Usopp shouted.

“This is the same Nami, that would rather count money than eat?!” Usopp said in disbelief.

“The same Nami that loves money more than life itself??” Zoro added.

“And she’ll pay anything??” Luffy finished.

“You guys may be overreacting,” Sanji said with a roll of his eyes.

“Very well, then… all together these would normally cost… 90 million berries. But for you today, you can have it all for only, 68 million!” He smiled at us, as if it was the best favor he had ever done for anyone, ever.

“Hmm, can’t you go any lower?” I asked with a bat of my lashes.

“All right, 67.5 million then.”

“How about 1 million?” I countered.

“67.4 million-- just for you,” he suggested with a wink.

“Can’t you go any lower?” Nami asked, grabbing his hands.

“Sold!” Sanji said, stepping between them, and giving us his dashing pose.

“You have that kind of money?” Zoro asked in disbelief.

“Nope!” Sanji moved quickly, throwing rope all around Luffy and tying him up tight. “But if we turn Luffy into the marines, we’ll have enough, plus some left over,” he said.

“What?!” Luffy yelled, struggling to get out.

“Sorry Luffy, but Nami and Kia deserve this sacrifice.”

“No they do not!!” 

“Wait…” the salesman said. “Did you say Luffy? As in Monkey D. Luffy?” 

“Yep, that’s me, weird guy… C’mon Sanji, just untie me!” 

Sanji shook his head, “Sorry, can’t do it.”

“Aah! There’s a real pirate flag up there!! I just remembered that I have a really important… uh, appointment! Have a nice day!!!” With that, he jumped into his sea snail, and was gone off the side of the ship.

“Was it something we said?” Luffy asked, as Sanji freed him.

“Perhaps he was afraid of you and your friends,” Robin said from her chair. “You are a wanted man after all.”

“He left all his stuff here!” Zoro said, scratching his head.

“Yeah!!” Nami and I shouted, grabbing our respective prizes.

“Thanks Luffy! You scared him into giving it to us for free!” I said with a grin.

“Shi-shi-shi… no problem!


	34. Dru

I ran as fast as I could, dodging the bullets that were being shot our direction, and trying my best to keep up with Sabo, even though I was sure he was holding back on speed for my benefit.

“I guess that means no, to our offer,” I said and Sabo burst out laughing. 

“Yes, I would definitely take trying to kill us as a no,” he said as he chuckled. “But we made the attempt, and that is what is important. Remember, we don’t simply liberate people, we-”

“Help them liberate themselves. Yes, I remember.”

Sabo smiled, as he suddenly pulled me onto a cross street, and then into an alley. He held a finger to my lips, ensuring that I would stay silent, and we waited as the mob behind us ran past, then we started walking in the opposite direction as if we hadn’t a care in the world.

_Puru-puru-puru…_

“Hello?” Sabo pulled out his transponder snail and answered.

“Hi Sabo!” Koala said. “Are you having fun without me?” I grabbed the receiver, because it was Koala, and also because I knew Sabo hated chitchat on the transponder snail.

“It’s never fun without you, Koala!” I answered cheerily. “What’s the news?” 

“Since you two are the closest, Leader wants you to check something out. Recon only.”

“Give us the details,” Sabo said as he took the receiver back. He nodded along as Koala spoke, then said “Okay,” and hung up.

“You know, it wouldn’t hurt to say goodbye,” I said with a chuckle.

“Eh?” he responded. “What do you mean?” 

I gave him a bewildered look. _How could he not know what I meant?_ “You know, if you hang up on someone, they may think something is wrong.”

“Oh… I see.”

We walked on in silence, heading to our small boat. We were near enough of our next destination that we should be able to simply follow our log pose, since we didn’t have an eternal pose. It made sense why we were asked to stay out a little longer before returning to base. We climbed aboard our boat, and got everything ready to set sail. 

We had been underway for a bit, and had settled down on the deck to eat lunch, when Sabo asked, “Dru, did I ever tell you about my first mission?” 

I thought back, “No, not that I can recall. Did Koala tell me about it?” 

He smiled, “I doubt it. It wasn’t something anyone would normally talk about, being that it was an utter failure.”

My eyebrow lifted as I looked at him. “Failure? I find that hard to believe,” I said honestly. Sabo was what we would call ‘the golden boy’ back home. Not just because he was blond, but because he could do no wrong. He was always in the right place, at the right time, and when everyone else gave up, he would find a way to accomplish the mission. There was plenty of reason why he was second in command, and the idea that he failed in something was hard to fathom.

“It’s true, though I didn’t know it at the time it happened.” He paused to eat some more. “Have you ever heard of a black transponder snail?” 

I racked my brain, but failed to come up with anything. “I feel as though I should have, but nothing is coming to mind.” 

“They are very hard to find, because they are rare, but mostly because the Navy pays very high prices for them.”

“Why? What makes them special?” I asked, curiously.

“They don’t make calls like other transponder snails, instead they are able to intercept calls that are being made, allowing the person to hear other people’s calls.”

My eyes went wide. “What? Really?” 

He nodded, lost in memory. 

I stayed quiet, until he shook his head, and looked back at me. “They do not have a long range, but I am certain you can understand the effects of such a thing on covert missions, such as ours.”

Suddenly I understood where this had come from. Sabo didn’t stay on the snail longer than he absolutely had to, and he tried hard not to give names, or specific information. True, some of that was necessary, but… “I see,” was what I said in response.

He smiled back at me, glad he didn’t need to elaborate. “If the wind stays with us, we should be able to make it within the next day or so.”

I settled back against the railing. “So then, who’s turn is it?” 

“Yours,” he said, pulling his hat down over his eyes to take a nap. Guess I was on watch duty.

 

* * * * *

“Excuse me sir, we’re looking for a man named Koza?” I asked the elderly gentleman in front of me. Nearly a week had passed since we sailed to Alabasta, and we finally had a lead on the leader of the rebel army. Sabo was certain he could give us some insight into the coup that nearly destroyed the kingdom, or at least point us toward someone that could.

“Visitors, is it?” he asked me, and I nodded. “From quite a distance too, if I’m not mistaken.”

I smiled and nodded again. “You are correct, we have been travelling for some time now,” I answered vaguely. That was lesson one from Sabo-- don’t lie, but don’t give information away either.

“We’re looking for a man named Koza, and were told he lives here in Yuba,” I repeated, keeping my smile on my face. “We’re hoping he could help us.”

“How about a trade?” the man asked shrewdly. “I’ll take you to Koza, if you help me carry my things home?” 

Sabo was quick to pick up some of the heavier sacks. “You have a deal,” he said. “Please lead the way.” I grabbed some of the tools that were near the man, and introduced myself. 

“Thank you so much. My name is Dru, and this is Sabo.”

“My name is Toto, it is a pleasure to meet you. Though I must say, your timing is quite interesting. People came around for days, asking questions of everyone in the kingdom. I don’t know what else you could learn.” 

Sabo smiled, “I’m certain that’s true, though I think we may ask different questions.” 

“And we prefer to hear things for ourselves,” I added, causing to Toto to reassess us. 

“I’m not sure he will be happy to greet you, but I will take you to him,” he said. 

 

* * * * *

 

“I’m not interested,” Koza said, for the fifth time in as little minutes. I could see that Sabo was just as frustrated as I was, and looking at him, I just shrugged. We would need to explain why we were here, but I’d let Sabo make that call.

“From everyone we talked to, we got a picture of you Koza, a picture of an honest, hardworking man that wanted the best for his country, and everything I see here, confirms that,” Sabo said, fiddling with his hat in his hands. “I don’t share this lightly, so I would ask that do not share what I will tell you with others.”

Koza’s interest seemed piqued, and he nodded in a “go ahead” gesture to Sabo. 

“We are part of an group that wants to make a difference in the world, who wants to stop tyrants from leading people to ruin, who wants to see the government care for its people, who wants those that are in power to not be corrupt and vile. We heard of the problems here in Alabasta, and that there was some differing accounts of what happened here.”

“We are merely seeking information as to the truth, so that we can determine if our help is needed here or not,” I added. “we are spread thin, but we never turn those in need, away.”

Koza looked over at Toto, the two of them having some sort of silent conversation, then they turned back to us. “We are leaving in two days to go to the capital. We need to meet with the king and report on the welfare of this part of the kingdom,” Toto said.

“If you truly wish to help, then there you will find the people to ask,” Koza said slowly, still looking uncertain about us. 

“I don’t blame you for your caution,” I said, “and we welcome the chance to help.” 

“Should we wait and travel with you, then?” Sabo asked.

Koza nodded. “There are not many bandits, but it is not unheard of,” he answered. “We will get you a room at the hotel next door to stay in the meantime.”

“Uh, two rooms if that is alright,” Sabo said, embarrassed. “We are merely colleagues.”

“Of course, my mistake.”

I glanced over at Sabo, uncertain what games this Koza guy was playing at, but we kept our silence as they walked us to the hotel and helped us procure rooms.

 

* * * * *

 

Two days of waiting would normally not be a problem, however since we were keeping a low profile, we couldn’t do most of the things we normally would, like train. However, we wanted to gather whatever information on the country that we could, so we spent a lot of time in the town. We would spend hours shopping, though we hardly bought anything, but spent most of the time talking to people, whether store owners, workers, or customers, we spoke of how wonderfully the country was recovering, and most were willing to speak of that success.

We often heard the names of the king and his daughter, and how their love for the country and its people was their inspiration. 

“I don’t get it,” I said once to Sabo. “If the royal family is so wonderful, why were the people rebelling in the first place?” 

Sabo was confused as well. “It seems we are missing a piece to this puzzle. We know the former warlord, Crocodile, was responsible for the coup, yet we’ve not heard of his involvement either.” 

“Perhaps they are simply focusing on the positive, but I don’t believe that is the case here,” I said softly.

“I agree,” he replied.

Soon enough we were on our way to the capital, travelling with Toto and Koza. While they still did not trust us completely, they were kind and obtained mounts for us as well as themselves, making the trip there much quicker than otherwise.

It also seemed that they were well known in the palace, because we were ushered through several places with just a nod. The guards were not slacking by any means, so that was the only conclusion I could reach. I grabbed Sabo’s arm, looking at him, and asking quietly if we were going to share who we were, and he looked uncertain.

We were led into the throne room, and followed Toto’s example of bowing deeply to the royals, where Koza did a half bow, though it seemed more of an inability to do more, than a lack of respect.

“Toto, Koza! How fare you? And how fares Yuba?” the king’s voice boomed out. The princess however, merely came forward, and gave Toto a hug, then turning to Koza, placed her hand on his arm and asked. “Koza? How are you healing?” 

“Fine, princess. You needn’t worry about me,” he answered with a smile. I was a little taken aback, as it was the first time since I met him, that he didn’t seem guarded.

“Who are your friends?” the king asked, as he too stepped forward to greet them.

“I’ll let them introduce themselves,” Koza said. “I’m not entirely sure that I believe them, but if it is true, than I knew you would want to speak with them.”

The princess and the king both turned to us, curiosity and suspicion warring on their faces. I stepped forward, hoping that the skills I had learned would serve me better here than the last island we visited.

“Your majesty, princess, this is Sabo, and my name is Dru. We’ve come today-” I stopped as the princess let out a gasp, and everyone turned to look at her. 

She stepped forward towards me, looking at me with scrutiny, and asked, “What did you say your name was?” 

“Uh, Dru,” I answered. I was feeling like a bug under a microscope. “Dru Cooper.”

“Oh my,” the princess said, then threw her arms around me in a hug, My arms pinned to my side, I turned to Sabo in panic. I was NOT prepared for this in any way, shape, or form.

“Um, your highness?” he asked. “I’m uncertain what it happening here…” he said tactfully.

“Oh, of course! I’m so sorry!” she replied, releasing me with a tearful laugh. “Does the name Kiana mean anything to you?” she asked me with a smile.

My jaw dropped, and I felt a little dizzy. “You know Kia? Is she here?” I asked looking all around me.

“Kia?” I heard Koza say, and I whirled to him. 

“You know her too?” I demanded. “How? Where is she?” I was starting to get frustrated, at the lack of answers, and Sabo helped hold me steady.

“It sounds as if you know Dru’s sister,” he said calmly, and the four other people nodded at us, all of them smiling, and the princess’s eyes still shining with tears.

“She was here for a short time, with friends. They were moving on, but since I was staying we decided to have her write a letter in case any of her sisters came to Alabasta… “ she trailed off, choking up. “We never really thought it would happen though. It’s like some kind of miracle!”

“Can… can I see it?” I asked, excited at the thought, though let down that she was already gone.

“Of course! Please, all of you, come! We’ll have dinner and tell Dru all we can remember about Kia’s time here!”

 

* * * * *

 

I could hardly believe it, but it’s definitely a letter from Kia. She doesn’t say much, and I can understand, especially since she didn’t really have a lot of hope that anyone would see it, but she mentioned no only her travels, but where Ash and Reese were sent, and how she heard about them. 

It blows my mind to think that one lone pirate crew was able to meet my sisters, and make it so that I would have this letter, to know that they are all right, and that we are all doing what we agreed to do. After hearing about the fighting here in Alabasta, I realized I need to step up my own training. I can’t rely on Sabo forever, but I can utilize his wealth of knowledge and skill.

We lingered even after dinner, as Vivi recounted her time sailing with the Straw Hat pirates, Kia’s new crew. She told us of meeting Kia for the first time, and how their captain insisted that she come with them, to belong. Vivi may not have understood how big of a deal that would be for Kia, but I did. She held others at a distance, ever since she had been hurt by those she thought were her friends back home.

“This Luffy sounds like a pretty amazing guy, especially for a pirate,” I commented, and the others nodded. 

“He is definitely someone special,” Toto said, telling us about his meeting with Luffy and his crew. The king then told us of his fight with Crocodile, how he risked his life for the country because Vivi was his friend.

“Are you like Kia, Dru?” Vivi asked suddenly, and I looked at her in confusion.

“I suppose so? At least a little, I mean, we are sisters.”

“I never got to ask her, because every time I tried, I was afraid of how to word it, but I really want to know how she knew things.”

“Knew things?” I asked, again in confusion.

“Knew things?” Sabo repeated.

“Yes! There were times, where she just knew things, things that no one told her, and I couldn’t seem to figure it out!”

“Uh… such as?” I asked, thinking that perhaps Kia had shared something about our home, or technology that didn’t exist here.

“Well… oh! Like the time she knew Zoro’s name, without having ever met him before! Or the time she knew Ace and Luffy’s devil fruits even though no one told her. It was strange, she never asked questions, and we never had to explain anything to Kia… ever. And I guess, I wondered if the same was true for you, Dru.”

I squirmed a little in my seat, as I felt everyone’s eyes on me, looking for an explanation. “I don’t know what to tell you Vivi, but that’s never been the case with Kia before, and definitely not for me. I’m always asking questions… there’s so much I just don’t know.”

Vivi looked disappointed, but recovered quickly. “It was just a hunch anyway, so no problem. Sometimes coincidences are just that… coincidences." 

 

* * * * *

It seemed like two different people that travelled back to Yuba with us, as Toto and Koza no longer doubted us, they were free with information, and explained all about Crocodile and his plan to use an ancient weapon to go against the world government. It was startling to hear how easily he played both sides against each other, and Leader would be most interested to hear it.

When we finally were taking our leave of Yuba, Koza stopped Sabo, and apologized again for his mistrust. We were quick to brush it aside, knowing that caution is essential. But then Koza surprised us.

“Kia saved my life that day, and I never really got to repay her for that,” he said, looking at his feet. “If she were here, she’d want to say something to you, so I am going to do that for her.” He looked at me, and then back at Sabo. “Make sure you take care of her, okay?” he said, nodding at me. “They all need to find each other again, and after meeting you, Dru, I truly believe you will.”

Sabo promised that he would look after me, as if I was his own sister, and that satisfied Koza. We said our farewells, and set sail back to headquarters.

It seemed as if in no time at all, we were giving our report to Dragon- and Koala, who had joined us before we entered his office. I was right that he was interested in Crocodile’s exploits, although he surprised me with how interested he was in the Straw Hat pirate crew. I even shared what Vivi had mentioned about Kia, and her strange knowledge, though Sabo gave me a strange look when I did.

In the very beginning, I had shared my entire story with both Dragon and Koala, because I knew I needed to trust somebody. While I did trust Sabo, it was something that I hadn’t shared with him, mostly because it sounded crazy, but also because I didn’t think he was ready to hear it. 

So now, he was confused as to why I would share seemingly non-important details with our leader, but none of us explained. To change the subject I pulled out the letter I had gotten from Kia. I knew I should have left it, in case one of the others came to Alabasta, but instead, I simply wrote another note, and left that.

“Is there something in there you wanted to share?” Dragon asked me.

“It’s more that what she said has left me with questions,” I answered, looking sheepish. I was certain any day now, one of them would tell me to stop asking questions, since I always had more.

“Go ahead,” he stated, leaning back in his chair.

“Thank you sir,” I replied, and opened the letter. “She mentions a couple people who are currently hosting my other two sisters, and worded it as if I should know them. Vice Admiral Garp, and Dracule Mihawk… and my question is… are they safe with them?” 

Dragon contemplated for a moment before nodding. “Yes, though I cannot say with certainty. Both men have a high code of honor, just differing views of right and wrong,” he answered with a smirk. It was obviously a private joke, but I wished I was privy to it.

“That’s good to hear, thank you. Then she says… here I’ll just read it.” I found the spot and started reading.

_Be careful who you trust. There are of course, honorable people on both sides, but there are also those, especially those loyal to the World Government that destroy what they don’t understand. People are not innocent until proven guilty here. Guilt is decided by those in power. Pick your battles, though it may be hard to do so, and be certain you can win or escape before you start. Most of all, avoid contact with any Celestial Dragons- at all cost._

_Eventually, the crew I sail with will have large bounties, I am certain. Learn who they are, so that when you cross paths, we’ll be able to be reunited. This crew is determined to always return to each other._

_Something big is coming. The government will not stand idly by while pirates and revolutionaries escape its reach. They will find a way to start a fight, one that will have everyone choosing sides._

_I wish I could say more,tell you who to trust and who to avoid, but I can’t be certain this won’t be intercepted. With everything that is coming, my only advice is… learn haki._

I stopped reading, and looked up. 

“How could your sister possibly know what the government is planning?” Sabo asked dismissively. “Is this what Vivi was talking about? Vague comments that make it seem as if she knows much more than she says?” 

“I couldn’t tell you,” I replied. “But I have two requests,” I looked over to Dragon. “can I be informed of any wanted posters for the Straw Hat crew?” 

“I am certain that that can be arranged,” he answered, with a nod. 

“Thank you. The second… well, you’ve told me about the Celestial Dragons,” I said as I stood. “But, what is haki, and will you teach it to me?”


	35. Ash / Reese

Ash--

I followed Mihawk through the streets, not worried about losing him as I let my gaze wander over the stalls and store fronts. Wherever we went, the crowds parted before him, and I simply followed in his wake. If the people didn’t recognize him, the sight of his giant sword was enough to have them backing away in fear or awe.

Of course, there were always times when other swordsmen wanted to try their skill against him, but it wasn’t often that any caught his attention enough to actually fight. He could simply measure their skill by looking at them, and determined whether they were a waste of his time or not, and most were found lacking.

In the time since we left Shanks and his crew, our training had increased by leaps and bounds, and I knew it was because I had finally let go of my stubborn need to feel in control. He knew better than I did, and once I let him be in control of decisions involving my training, everything began to click. I would never be the swordsman he was- not even close- but I would be stronger than most, and able to hold my own with the best.

A small rock came flying back, and hit my forehead, and I rubbed the spot, wincing. I looked forward to see Mihawk waiting for me, though his back was to me. This sort of thing had been happening for the past few days. He had spoken to me of his haki- the way he was able to perceive his opponents moves and intentions, and now we were working on building my own haki, with no success. However Mihawk was much more stubborn than I was, so we would continue.

I caught up quickly, and stood behind him waiting for direction. I smiled as I thought of the difference in such a small amount of time. My focus and discipline was such that he never left me behind during his journeys, and I was constantly learning and marveling at the new things in the world I was seeing.

“Have you finished?” he asked, and I nodded. I had gotten the supplies we needed when we first arrived, and had just been following after him since. Sensing my nod, he took off, and I trailed behind as we made our way back to the boat, leaving the small island as quickly as we had come.

Later that day, Mihawk was navigating the ship, giving me time to meditate, trying to use my haki in sensing things around me- the waves, the fish- anything. I could hear the flap of wings, the call of a bird- but knew that it was not my haki, but my regular senses, so I kept my eyes closed and continued to work at it.

The noises I heard didn’t make sense, but I regained my focus, figuring I could question Mihawk about it later.

“Hmm…” I heard. “Two minor league pirates defeated one of the warlords? I bet this is causing a stir somewhere.” 

“Master?” I asked, unsure.

“Look,” he said, and I opened my eyes as paper was thrown into my lap. I picked it up, noticing the wanted posters. One I recognized as Luffy’s, though the amount had been changed from thirty million to … “One hundred million?” I said, impressed. “And…” I took in the other poster. “Roronoa Zoro?” I asked, uncertain. 

“The one who challenged me at the sea restaurant,” he replied. My mind finally clicked as I remembered the green haired man. “I knew I’d hear those names again, though I hardly expected them to come this far so quickly. Seems they are just as determined as you are.”

I beamed at the unexpected praise, and said, “Well, you did tell him to get stronger and then seek you out.” 

“So I did,” he replied, a smirk on his face. “We may meet again sooner than I thought.” 

 

* * * * *

 

I looked around nervously, as we sailed up to the dock. Everything had changed once Mihawk received news of a summons for the warlords, and we had now arrived in Marie Jois, which was much bigger than I had pictured. The nerve racking part of course, was what Mihawk had told me of the World Government’s leaders, and what to expect. Now we were here, and I was feeling uneasy.

I did as he had instructed me, and followed behind him, keeping my eyes straight ahead. I was unsure of why I wasn’t just staying in the boat, but perhaps this was some sort of test, or a demonstration of what to expect in the future. Either way, I was determined to follow his instructions exactly.

We walked through the building, climbing a few flights of stairs, and I could hear shouting ahead of us. We walked towards the sound, as it became quieter. As we walked to the room at the end of the hall, I could see a large round table, with several people sitting on one side, all wearing marine uniforms of some kind, with two large men on the other side-one standing, and one sitting- not at, but _on_ the table.

“So good to hear your dulcet tones again, Doflamingo,” Mihawk said, and the blond man sitting on the table turned to look at us. 

“Hawkeye,” one the marines said quietly, seeming almost glad that he was there.

“Admiral Sengoku,” Mihawk continued, “You’ve been well, I hope?” 

I suppose to those who didn’t know him, he may have sounded sincere, but I knew he was being sarcastic, and I wondered just what his relationship with these Navy leaders was like.

“Remember this Ashley,” he spoke, though he didn’t turn to me. “The seven warlords and the marines insist on keeping up appearances of getting along, but no one can ever explain why.” 

I nodded, but kept quiet. 

“Hawk Eye Mihawk,” the man Mihawk called Doflamingo said with a smirk. “and… friend. Perhaps this little get together will be interesting after all…” I couldn’t see his eyes behind his sunglasses, but I suppressed the shiver that I had at his voice, and raised one eyebrow before turning my attention to the man at the head of the table as he spoke.

“What brings you here, Mihawk? And who is this?” 

“My assistant, Ashley. I wanted you to meet her, so that she will be protected, and not targeted. Though she is not a pirate, she should be extended the same courtesies as if she were a part of my crew. And, I heard of your meeting and thought I might sit in on it. I have an interest in the pirates you’ll be discussing, and I like to stay informed.”

“Then she should wait outside,” Sengoku replied, though he had nodded as Mihawk had introduced me.

“Oh no, she should stay…” Doflamingo said, gesturing to a chair in front of where he sat. “I have a seat here.”

I made a distressed sound as I felt something grip my body. I was paralyzed, yet my legs began to move, and I walked over towards him. Panic gripped me, and it took all my focus not to look back at Mihawk or say something. 

Everyone stopped short as someone else began speaking, an odd man that suddenly appeared in the window, and the room focused on him as he twirled a cane and tap danced along with his words. The strange feeling of being controlled was gone, and I stepped back silently, returning to my place behind Mihawk.

“Wait outside,” he said quietly, and I turned and silently left the room, closing the doors behind me. 

Once alone in the hall, I took a few deep breaths, calming myself. I stood against the wall, and closed my eyes focusing the panic that I still felt into determination. I focused on my senses, seeing the hallway around me in my mind, taking in the smell of the paint on the walls, the cleaner used on the furniture.

I stayed that way for some time, sharpening my focus like a blade, until I felt strong instead of weak. The door was opening, and I tensed, standing up straight and opening my eyes. But as I did, and looked over, the door was closed. Just as I noticed the oddity, the door handle turned, and the door opened reveling several of the navy men, leaving in a hurry as they spoke to each other in quiet tones, though I could catch their glances at me.

I waited there, as the others began to leave the room, but it seemed as if the navy was exiting first, as at the end I saw Sengoku walking out with his pet… goat… as well as an older woman. They each nodded to me as they passed, and I nodded back in respect. Couldn’t hurt to treat them with respect on their own turf after all. No sense burning bridges that I may need in the future.

Then a huge man that I recognized came walking out. I followed him with my eyes, noting that he didn’t even glance my way. I couldn’t remember his name, Kia had only used it once after all, but I distinctly remember flying away from my sisters because of him.

My mind shouted at me, as I saw Doflamingo’s arm reaching toward me, and I quickly sidestepped, just as he walked forward, his arm outstretched, side by side with Mihawk. I looked at them, noting that each of them had an intrigued look on their faces, though Mihawk hid it as soon as it came.

“So, teaching her haki, are we?” Doflamingo said with a smirk. “I’m curious why her, after so long of being alone?” He asked as he looked me over, trying to find answers. Mihawk didn’t respond, simply continued walking, and I fell into step behind him. Doflamingo wasn’t done, and called out, “What makes her so special?” 

After he had thoroughly creeped me out, I went against my better judgement and glanced back with a huge grin and a wink. Turning back I continued to follow Mihawk, not noticing whatever reaction Doflamingo had.

As we exited the building, Mihawk finally spoke. “That was unwise.”

“What was?” I asked innocently.

“You do not want to get his interest peaked,” he said as we boarded our boat and got ready to sail. “Nothing that garners his interest ever survives.”

I gulped, and glanced back toward the building, noting that he was at the entrance, just standing there. He was too far away to see, but it seemed he was looking in our direction, and my spine stiffened.

“That is sound counsel, Master,” I said in response. “But I felt weak for longer than was acceptable in there. I had to correct the situation.”

He didn’t say anything, but his smirk and nod were enough.

* * * * *

After the excitement of Marie Jois, we returned to Gloom Island. We spent most of the trip experimenting with my new found haki ability, which meant I spent most of the time with my eyes closed, blocking and dodging small attacks from Mihawk, or calling out locations of the sea life below us. It became easier the more we worked, but Mihawk cautioned that it would take much more to truly hone the skill.

He also took the time to explain more about haki, and its different types, which had my mind reeling at the possibilities. “So you’re saying that someone can basically see hits coming, block weapons with their bare hands, and make people pass out just by thinking about it?!” I questioned, incredulous.

The look he gave me, had me realizing that I didn’t quite get it, and I felt ridiculous. “Sorry, master, but I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t use these abilities.” 

He explained further, and we got into a discussion about the pros and cons, as well as the limitations of using haki. He admitted that he was no expert, and was unable to answer a few of my questions. There were a lot of things that made more sense though, and he used Shanks as an example of one who used his haki more so than others, and in turn was much stronger than others. Partly because of the strength of his haki, but also in part because of his skill in using it.

It was something that had me thinking, and could be a big advantage in my fighting, but only if I strengthened it, as I would with any other muscle.

I began with my morning run, laughing as I was able to run with more pleasure, rather than a flight for my life, as I could sense where the humandrills were coming, and was able to avoid their attacks instead of always outrunning them.

I returned to the castle with a smile on my face, seeing Mihawk waiting for me. “Master,” I said, as I stretched to cool down my muscles. 

“You were gone much longer than before,” he noted. “Did you have trouble?” he asked.

I laughed, pleased with myself. “Not at all,” I commented. “I just wanted to finally see the whole island.” 

He smirked back at me, and I could tell he was pleased. “Come with me, I have something to show you.”

I followed him inside the castle, hoping that we weren’t starting our morning training session before I had breakfast. We walked towards the kitchen, and I had the fleeting hope that he had made me something to eat.. As we walked past the kitchen, that hope was dashed, but I was curious as he walked into the dojo room. 

I stopped inside the room, and watched as he walked to the wall, and picked up a pair of black sai. He walked back to me, and held them out. I looked at him, certain there was some sort of mistake.

“For me?” I asked quietly. 

“If you do not continue to improve, how can you finally leave me in peace?” he asked, thrusting the weapons into my hands. “Now, first thing… we must teach you how to grip them properly.”

 

* * * * *

Back at Marine HQ-

 

"Come on Reese!”

“No!” I yelled back. “I’m trying to study!” 

Garp had gotten me several papers of famous strategies from Vice Admiral Tsuru, which were amazing. Not only was I learning about great strategies in battle, but I was learning the history of my new home, which was helping me fit in even better.

“Sparring is studying!” Helmeppo cried out again, intent on having a three way fight. I had to admit, fighting all together pushed us more than just a one on one, but I was busy.

“Leave her alone Helmeppo,” Coby said. “Unless you’re worried you can’t beat me without her help.”

“As if!” Helmeppo responded, and the two of them went at it again.

We were left to our own again today, as Garp had meetings, and Bogard was given the time off. We had already finished our duties, so we were making use of our free time, though Coby and Helmeppo weren’t very interested in reading old reports.

After another hour or so, I decided to change activities, feeling my shoulders ache from being in one position for so long. I put the papers inside my bag for safekeeping, and adjusting my hat, headed over to the other two.

“Are you ready to join in?” Coby asked from atop Helmeppo. He didn’t have long, as he was thrown to the side and they both stood again, ready for another round. 

“No, I think I’m going to work on that shave technique Garp is trying to get us to learn,” I said, and the boys both groaned. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get the hang of that one,” Helmeppo said, and Coby nodded along. 

“He makes it look so easy!” Coby added.

“It’s all about speed and strength, right?” I said, positioning myself away from where they were sparring. “So I’ll work on both, until I get it.”

Garp hadn’t given us any indication as to how we would be able to accomplish the moves he did, leaving us to work it out for ourselves, so I started doing everything I could to build up the strength in my legs, as well as my speed.

I started doing my drills, marking about thirty yards in my mind, sprinting there as quickly as I could, then doing lunges on the way back, only to turn around and repeat it. It exhausted me, but I knew I was building muscle, and endurance.

We continued that way, eventually the boys joined me, and we took breaks as needed. Once our legs couldn’t take anymore, we laid back on the grass, panting and sweating.

“I don’t think I could do another lunge right now if you paid me,” I said, pointing and flexing my feet in an effort to avoid cramps. 

“You say that, but if Garp were here and ordered you to, you’d jump up and do a hundred more,” Coby said with a grin. 

“And so would you,” I replied, laughing. “And even Helmeppo would.”

“Hey!” 

“Because none of us want to lose the opportunity he’s given us,” I concluded.

Coby chuckled along with me, and stood up. “Three way spar?” he asked us, holding out both hands to us to help us up.

“You’re on,” we both said back, grabbing onto his hand and jumping up into our stances.

We were pretty evenly matched overall, but we each had our weak areas, and we each knew the others- so we did what anyone would, and tried to exploit them. Coby was physically stronger, and could usually defeat us with one or two hits. Helmeppo was more athletic, able to jump over either of us easily, making him hard to catch and easy to catch us off guard. But once caught, he was quickly bested. As for me, I was quicker than the other two, often catching them in the back, or with a leg sweep. But, as with Helmeppo, once caught, I couldn’t match their strength.

Because our styles were so different, by fighting all together, we were in a constant state of changing tactics, and it helped each of us in our respective abilities, but also in growing. Coby was getting faster and more agile, Helmeppo was getting faster and stronger, and I was getting stronger and more agile the more we sparred together.

We had only one rule- no teaming up. It was winner take all, and we all knew it. But that didn’t mean we couldn’t take advantage of situations. 

I rolled toward Helmeppo, sweeping out my leg to take his out from under him. As I moved away, and Helmeppo fell back, Coby rushed in to tackle him, keeping him from jumping away. Helmeppo growled, rolling to the side to try to free himself, which helped him dodge a punch Coby aimed straight for his face. 

I ran back in, kicking out and hitting Coby in the shoulder. He reached out to grab me, but I was already away, and the distraction gave Helmeppo the chance to get away. The three of us were facing off again, our eyes constantly shifting back and forth, waiting for someone to make a move.

Coby started first this time, running towards me, and I was surprised at how quick he was, and I moved away from him. I saw Helmeppo move to intercept us, grabbing his kukri from their sheaths on his belt, and I pulled my baton from my waist, as I turned toward him, making him adjust his stance, and gaining a moment.

Coby was right on my heels as we ran, and Helmeppo grinned as I came close, swinging out slightly higher than normal, anticipating my leap. I changed tactics, falling down and into a roll to avoid the hit.

I heard a grunt and a crash and I hopped back up to see the damage, seeing Coby and Helmeppo in a pile. It looked like they collided with each other.

“Coby! Coby are you okay?” Helmeppo asked, panicking. I rushed over as he rolled Coby over, and we both peered down anxiously. Coby’s eyes were closed, and there was a horribly bleeding wound on his forehead. I rushed over to my bag, grabbing the first aid kit that we habitually carried around for just these incidents.

Even putting pressure on the wound for several minutes didn’t seem to stop the flow of blood, and my hands were soon covered. 

“Helmeppo, we need to take him to the infirmary, can you help me carry him?” I asked.

“I can carry him, you get our things,” he said brusquely. I wrapped a bandage around Coby’s head, and went to pick up our bags. Turning back, Coby was in Helmeppo’s arms, and though he looked like he was straining, he didn’t complain as we rushed away to the infirmary.

We gave our names and ranks at the infirmary, and they said they would be informing Garp of the situation, which I was glad for. I didn’t think I could go and try to find him right now, let alone explain. Worst case scenarios were rushing through my head as we sat in the waiting area.

“I don’t understand it,” Helmeppo muttered. “I had you, and then suddenly, Coby was there instead.” He looked miserable, hanging his head. “I didn’t aim to hit him.”

“It’s not your fault,” I replied quietly. “Accidents happen in spars all the time.”

“You don’t get it,” he mumbled, and I didn’t reply.

After some time, the doctor came to get us, leading us into the main room filled with beds. He took us over to where Coby lay, explaining that he would be fine, it was a minor wound, but would certainly leave a scar. We both breathed out sighs of relief, and I reached over to place Coby’s glasses on his face.

We stayed until he woke, groggy and uncertain of where he was or what was happening. We explained what happened, and told him what the doctor had said about a scar.

“Great… the glasses helped me stand out enough…” he said sadly.

“Hey, don’t feel bad, it’s a battle scar, right?” I said cheerily.

He smiled back. “I guess so.”

“You can always wear a bandanna or something,” Helmeppo suggested.

“That’s true,” he said thoughtfully. 

“No way,” I said. “You should be proud of your battle scars.” 

Coby chuckled as Helmeppo and I argued about which way he should go.

“You have to admit,” Coby said, breaking up our argument. “I almost had you Reese.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out,” Helmeppo said, frowning. “Since when are you fast enough to catch Reese? And how did she get out of the way so suddenly? I _had her_ , she should have taken the hit, not you.”

“Maybe you were slower than you thought,” I said, confused why he was harping on this.

“Or you were faster,” he shot back.

Before we could argue again, we heard laughter and turned to the sound. Garp was walking into the room, and had heard us arguing. While Coby was friends with each of us, Helmeppo and I were still getting used to the idea, and argued more often than not… and Garp found the whole thing hilarious.

“Can’t be too serious, if you two are still at it,” he said as he walked up. 

“Vice Admiral Garp, Sir!” Coby and Helmeppo both saluted.

“Gramps,” I said with a nod of my head, and he smiled at us. “Coby took a hit during a spar. Doc said it was minor, no damage, though there will be a scar.”  
“Hmm, then what’s the argument about?” he asked, and I shrugged.

“I’m sorry sir, I just don’t understand how this happened,” Helmeppo said nervously. “I had Reese cornered, and was going in for the final hit, and suddenly Coby was there instead, and Reese was several feet away. I couldn’t pull back in time.” He looked like someone facing a firing squad, as he told Garp what happened.

“Sounds like a shave,” Garp mentioned, as he leaned down to look into Coby’s eyes. Seeing him looking fine, Garp slapped him on the back, and laughed. “Training in one hour, down at the yard,” he said throwing a rolled up paper into Coby’s lap, and leaving the room.

We all stared at him, then back to Coby as he picked up the paper and unrolled it. His eyes widened as he spread it out for us to see. It was two wanted posters.

“Zoro too?” Helmeppo asked incredulously. 

“One hundred million…” Coby said softly. “Everyone will be after him!”

I looked down at the posters, noting that while Luffy’s picture was the same with a big grin, Zoro’s looked like he had been in a huge fight, he was dirty and bleeding. I looked at Coby with a smile. “Just what they said they were going to do, isn’t it?”


	36. Minchy the Tool... oh, and Zenny.

“I’m starving!” Luffy yelled out, to no one in particular.

“Just goes to show, Captain. If you gorge yourself one day, there will nothing to eat the next,” I answered, not looking up from my sewing. I was determined to make myself a cross-body bag, smaller than Usopp’s but very similar, to hold my things when going ashore.

“Gorge?” Chopper asked.

“It’s another word for stuffing yourself,” Usopp answered, and I smiled at him. 

It had started innocently enough, with him explaining words I had used to Luffy, and now it was a little bit of a game; me, trying to use new words that he hopefully didn’t know, and he, always winning by knowing and explaining their meaning. I asked him once, and he said his mom used to read to him, helping him expand his vocabulary, and it became something we bonded over.

“Oh,” Chopper replied. “Well we certainly gorged ourselves yesterday, didn’t we?”

“Well, we had to celebrate getting away from those marines,” Luffy defended, and I chuckled. 

“That’s true, we did.” 

“You know Kia, you don’t always have to agree with him,” Nami complained, and I looked up.

“Well, he _is_ the captain after all.” 

“Ugh,” Nami said with a roll of her eyes. She didn’t comment further, as we heard the whooshing and splash of a cannonball coming at us. Several of us looked behind to see a marine vessel trailing some distance behind us.

“Can we outrun them?” Usopp asked, and Nami nodded. 

“They can’t catch us, not with the wind we’ve got.”

Usopp took her at her word, and continued to fish, even as Nami adjusted the ship’s trajectory slightly to increase our speed. I looked around, noting that we had been dogged so frequently by the marines, that it hardly fazed anyone anymore.

Sanji hadn’t even come out of the kitchen at the call, Zoro was cleaning his swords, Robin was reading at her small table up on deck, and Chopper and Luffy were laying on deck alternatively asking Usopp if he had caught something yet, because they were starving. Even at the worst of times, these people were so much fun to be with.

Sanji walked out of the kitchen, holding a tray, and approached Robin with it. “Robin my love!” he called, “I have your tea, and a special snack I made just for you!”

“What?!” Luffy, Usopp and Chopper cried out, running for Sanji who held them at bay with a hand on Usopp’s face, and a foot on Luffy’s.

“You’ve been holding out on us!” Usopp yelled indignantly.

“Yeah, we’re hungry too! Sanji, you meanie!” Chopper added.

Luffy tried to say something I’m sure, but with Sanji’s foot in his face, no one could understand him. Robin solved the problem by having arms appear on Chopper and Luffy, and tickling them, causing them to roll around on the deck, laughing.

“Uh, hello!” Nami called out. “There are still marines behind us! This is no time for having fun!”

“We know,” Zoro said back. “The cannonballs are so annoying.” 

“Nami!” I yelled back, before she could yell at Zoro. “Fog ahead!” 

“Hmm,” she mused. “Maybe we can use it to give the marines the slip, but it’ll be tricky! Sanji! Hard to port!” 

“Of course, Nami sweet!” He cooed, as he ran for the kitchen.

We followed Nami’s directions, and were able to lose the marines in the fog, which had Luffy ready to celebrate again. But before anyone could inform him that there wasn’t any food to have a feast, Usopp called out, “Island! Dead ahead!”

“Yeah!” Luffy cheered as he started salivating. “I hope there’s food!”

“A new island, huh?” Zoro said as he stood up. “Should be fun.” 

“Kia! Let’s go!” Luffy called out, and I looked back at my half finished bag. 

“I’ll stay and watch the Merry,” I said, and Luffy pouted. 

“What? Why? I’ll protect you, just like I promised.”

“I know Captain,” I said with a smile. “I just have some things I need to finish up here. But you should go, have fun!”

 

* * * * *

 

I chuckled to myself as I watched the rest of the crew disembark. Little did they know, the surprise I had planned. It had started as a thought, when Chopper and I were creating everyone’s medical records. I had realized how close Luffy’s birthday was, we had just barely missed it. And Usopp’s was only about a month before that, Sanji’s a month before that, and Robin’s a month before that. Plus, Nami’s was about a month and a half away from now. True, my own was several months away, and Zoro’s and Chopper’s were at the end of the year, but still, I wanted to have a birthday party.

Who knew how many birthday parties any of my crew mates had ever gotten, having been raised in crazy circumstances, but instead of celebrating one, we would celebrate them all, and have a great cake to go with it.

I wasn’t much of a cook, though I was a much better baker. I definitely had a sweet tooth, and enjoyed making all sorts of confections back home. I had gone to Sanji days ago, and had gotten ingredients, saving them in a box with my name on it in the cupboard, which he thankfully left alone. Now, that I was alone on the ship, I could finish my preparations.

I didn’t have money to buy presents, so I had drawn everyone a picture, using the times when I had been on watch to work on them in secret. I had a few finishing touches, but they were mostly done. I rubbed my hands together in excitement, and got to work.

I later decided it had been a good thing we had practically run out of food, because now there was plenty of room in the fridge for my cakes. Halfway through the mixing process, I had decided to make individual cakes for each of them, rather than one large one to share. The image of Luffy scarfing the whole thing in one gulp had me worried, so I changed the plan. Now I had six small cakes and one large one in the fridge cooling, while I whipped up some frosting.

There had been a couple of close calls, where I had almost been caught as different members of the crew came to visit and tell me of their exploits with an old man named Zenny. It was sad that he was so close to dying, and I completely understood that the crew wanted to stay and make his last days comfortable.

However, three days in, I had had enough of the waiting. I had done every possible chore I could think of aboard the Merry, and needed to stretch my legs. I climbed down the ladder, and made my way up the trail, not going far before I ran into Zoro.

“Hey Zoro,” I called, and he turned from his training.

“Thought it would take some sort of miracle to get you off that ship,” he said sarcastically, and I bristled. 

“I’m not scared or anything,” I defended myself. “I just like being there.”

“Uh-huh,” he replied, not at all convinced. 

“Besides, I’m a trouble magnet,” I said, a little more quietly, but he just gave me look.

“Not any more than our captain is.”

I looked around, wanting to change the conversation. “Uh, so what’s taking so long? I thought you guys said we would only be here for a day or two.” 

“Yeah, we did.” 

“Zoro, it’s been three days already,” I pointed out, which had him standing up, looking at me in thought.

“You sure?” he asked, and I nodded. “Hmm, all right then, I’ll go get the others. We don’t want to spend forever tending to the old man.”

“Okay then, see you back on the Merry,” I said and turned back. Though I couldn’t see him, Zoro shook his head at me, and headed back up the hill.

As I got back to the shore, I was startled to see a Marine ship in the cove. _When did that get here?_ I thought as I backed up, determined to hide. It didn’t do me any good, as I was surrounded quickly by the marines that had already come ashore.

 

* * * * *

 

Up on the deck of the marine’s ship, I was tied tightly and gagged. I tried wiggling out of the ropes, moving my wrists and arms to try to make some leeway, but to no avail. The only good news was that the marines were ignoring me, but I couldn’t blame them. I wasn’t any sort of worry for them.

The sergeant, a complete tool named Minchy, was notified once the crew came to the shore, and he walked forward to speak to them, yelling to them about how they were free to go, and he was only here to inspect the island. I could hear Usopp agree and run off to gather their supplies, and I shook my head, wishing I could yell loud enough that they could hear me.

“You’re not the boss of me! I’ll leave when I’m good and ready!” Luffy’s voice came clearly across the water, and I grinned at the anger on Minchy’s face. I listened as Nami accused him of lying, and heard the gasps as the fog finally burned away in the morning sun, and the crew could see the ships that were hiding behind Minchy’s, waiting for his signal.

“Hold it right there, or the long nose gets it!” someone yelled, and I started scooting closer to the edge of the deck, wanting to see what was happening. 

“Sorry guys, they got the drop on me,” Usopp said, and I heard Chopper yell out.

“You dirty creeps!”

I could still hear voices, but since they weren’t shouting, I couldn’t hear what they were saying, and as I kept scooting closer, Minchy finally saw me, and gave a kick that I barely dodged by rolling to the side. The marines all around me came forward, pointing their guns at the shore.

“Big deal! I can handle bullets!” I heard Luffy say.

“But we can’t!” Nami yelled back angrily.

“Ha ha!” Minchy the tool, laughed. “I’ll get the treasure of Zenny the moneylender, the heads of the Straw Hats, and all the credit, once I send you to hell!”

He moved, so that his men could fire, but a loud cracking sound stopped us all in our tracks. Sliding down the top of the mountain, was a ship, following the path all the way to the shore and into the water.

I heard Luffy shout, “Yay old goat man!” followed by, “Don’t encourage him!” from some of the others.

“Be careful old man! He’s after your treasure!” Usopp shouted.

I tried to move out of the way, but was kicked a few times as the marines rushed by me. I huddled at the railing off to the side, hoping that I could avoid getting hurt. I looked up, as a movement caught my eye, seeing Luffy’s hands grab onto the rigging, and I grinned as best as I could. Not a moment later, as I heard his battle cry coming closer, a marine sliced through the rope with his sword, and the cry was cut off with a loud thump from the front of the ship.

_Luffy’s in the water!_ I thought desperately. I tried with renewed energy to get out of the ropes around me, thrashing around in desperation. I could only hope that someone was going after Luffy, hoping that Zoro or Sanji had seen him fall.

 

* * * * 

 

Nami, Sanji, Chopper and Usopp ran for the Merry, and pulled up the anchor as quickly as they could. 

“Bring her around!” Nami yelled as she ran downstairs yelling for Kia.

Chopper stood up on the railing, as Usopp readied the cannon, yelling, “Hurry! Hurry!” before Sanji reached up to grab him and put him back on the deck.

“We know, we’ll get there soon,” Sanji replied as he lit a cigarette, the Merry heading straight for the other ships.

“Did we hit something?” Usopp asked, and the other two shrugged.

“Guys!” Nami yelled breathlessly as she reached the top deck. “I can’t find Kia!”

“What?!”

 

* * * * 

 

Minchy grabbed onto my braid, and started dragging me across the deck. I used my legs as fast as I could to scoot with him in an effort to avoid having all my hair pulled out.

“Now Zenny,” Minchy said to the old man in front of us. “Tell me the truth- or this girl will die, and then so will you.”

My eyes went wide as he pulled out his sword and pointed it at my head, and I stared at the old man pleadingly. 

“You may not believe it, but I’m broke,” the man replied in defeat. “I treasure my life, and my friends! I don’t have two coins to rub together!” The defeat had come and gone, and he smiled triumphantly at Minchy.

“Fine, have it your way,” he said as he raised his sword up. Something flew at him, striking him in the face, causing him to whirl around, and I followed to see who it was.

“It seems I broke your abacus,” Robin said with a smirk. “I’m sorry.” 

“You think you can defy the marines?!” Minchy sneered as goats started running up from the hold.

At the same time, the Merry came up and bumped into the ship, causing us all to fall over. Sanji, Usopp, and Chopper all jumped over to us.

“Old man!” Chopper called. “I’m here to help you!”

“I almost died!” the man complained.

Usopp and Sanji both ran toward me, but I saw Sanji veer off as he spotted Robin.

“Are you okay?” they both asked each of us.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Robin answered and I nodded.

Usopp untied me, and removed the gag from my mouth, and I was so happy I jumped him, giving him a huge hug. “Thank you Usopp!! Thank you, thank you!”

Robin giggled at Sanji’s depressed form, since he realized that could have been him getting hugged, if he had only gone to me instead.

“Robin! So this is where you’ve been!” Nami said as she tied up Minchy. She looked over at Zenny, “Old man, are you okay?”

“Yeah, but are _they_ okay?” he replied, and we followed his look, seeing Zoro and Luffy, soaked and hurt, panting on the deck.

“Zoro!” I called out, running over as they sat up. “How’d you get that bump?” I asked, seeing a huge knot on his head.

“ _Someone_ , hit me with a ship!” he yelled at Usopp, who flinched.

“Luffy!” I cried as he sat up, looking all right, just wet. “I was so scared when those marines grabbed me! I’m so sorry I got caught!”

“What.” 

Luffy looked over at Minchy, adjusting his hat, and looking at the sergeant. “You grabbed my little sister?”

“Your… _your sister?!_ ” Minchy squeaked.

Luffy picked him up by the ropes around him, and said, “Be sure to tell your friends, that we’re waiting for them!” He reared back his other arm, ready to send him sailing through the air.

“A little higher on the aim, Luffy!” Usopp called out from the crow’s nest.

“Thanks! Gum gum… Pistol!!” 

“Good form… nice trajectory!” Usopp called down.

“What was that? Your _little_ sister?” I asked him wryly. “I’m fairly certain I am older than you.” 

“Well, yeah, but you’re new to being a pirate, so you’re like… the whole crew’s little sister!” he said with a grin, and everyone else just shrugged and ran with it, as usual. I smiled, and said, “it’s a nice thought.”

Chopper bandaged Zoro and Robin’s heads, and gave me some ointment for the rope burns I had. As we headed away from the island, Luffy yelled out to Zenny, that we’d see him out on the seas.


	37. Rainbow Mist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit longer chapter, but wanted to get through all of this story, to head into the next arc!

I woke up suddenly, to a tap on my back. Sitting up, I could see an arm coming out of my bed, and as I sat up, it disappeared. I looked over at Nami, as she too sat up, having fallen asleep at her desk again.

“Think everything is okay?” I asked, as we walked up the stairs to the deck.

“I hope so,” she answered.

We could hear the movement of the guys from their room, all of them climbing up the ladder on the mast that stood in the middle of their room. We all met on deck, looking around for trouble, and spotted Robin standing up in the crow’s nest looking at the sky.

It was amazing! There were shooting stars everywhere, it must have been some sort of meteor shower! We made our way to the top deck near the figurehead, Luffy raising his arms over his head, shouting, “Awesome!”

Being in front of the sails meant there was nothing to block the view, and we all looked up in amazement at the wide expanse of sky. It didn’t last long, but what we saw was beautiful!

Since no one was ready to go back to bed, I decided that it was time for our birthday party. I called Robin down, and asked for help from Sanji to bring out the cakes. They weren’t too big, more like jumbo cupcakes, except for Luffy’s.

I ran to the girl’s room, and grabbed the hastily wrapped presents. All I could do was roll them up like a scroll, and tie ribbon around them, but it was the thought that counted, right? 

“Kia?” Luffy asked. “What’s going on?”

“I’m glad you asked, Luffy!” I said with a grin. “Surprise!!” I yelled loudly to everyone. “Happy birthday!!”

They all looked at me in confusion, except for Luffy, who looked ecstatic. “Whose birthday is it?” He asked happily.

“Everyone’s!” I replied, as I handed a cake to Chopper. “We missed some birthdays, and there are some coming up soon, but since I don’t know how long we’ll be together, we’re celebrating everyone’s birthday right now!”

“Whoa!” Luffy exclaimed happily.

“That’s dumb,” Zoro muttered, as I went to hand him a cake, so I held it out of reach.

“Oh really?” I asked with a smirk. “I’m sure Luffy would like to have your cake then.” 

He grumbled as he denied the idea, and I handed him the cake. “Happy birthday Zoro,” I said and he glared at me, but with his own smirk as he went to take a bite of the cake.

“Thank you Kiana,” Robin said quietly as she took the cake I offered. “This was very kind of you.” 

“Kia darling!” Sanji called. “Thank you so much! It’s too beautiful to eat!” 

“You shouldn’t have,” Nami said with a smile.

“This looks great!” Usopp added.

“Yummy!” Chopper said, and I turned to find him with an icing mustache, causing me to grin. I then carried over the large cake to Luffy, saying “This by no means indicates that I like Luffy better than the rest of you, but I didn’t want to have him trying to eat your cakes.”

Luffy’s tongue was out as he looked at the triple layered cake, and he picked it up with a “Thanks!” and shoved the entire thing in his mouth. I laughed, and said, “besides, I worried that that is what would have happened if I only made one.”

“That was great!” Luffy cheered, punching up at the sky.

“I guess that means it is time for presents!” I said, and grabbed the rolled papers, walking around and handing them out. “I hope you like them!” 

The crew didn’t say anything, but they all waited for Luffy to open his first. He tore off the ribbon, and unrolled the paper. Letting out a “Whoa…” he turned it so that the others could see.

I had drawn a picture of Luffy, as the king of the pirates, with his straw hat on, and a large flowing coat around him. He was standing on the deck of the ship, and all his friends, family and crew were around him, including some that were only halfway done.

“Why are there people with no faces?” Usopp asked, confused.

“Well, I didn’t know everyone in Luffy’s family, or friends that he may want in there, so I left some blank, so that he can describe them to me, and I’ll draw them in,” I explained.

“Kia! That’s so amazing!!” He shouted, stretching his arms out to wrap around me. Intentionally or not, that pulled me in, so I was now a part of the crowd of crew members huddled together to see the picture, which practically put me sprawled over several of their laps.

“Who’s next?” Luffy called excitedly. 

“Uh, I guess I will,” Usopp said, and pulled the ribbon off of his. He held it out in front of us all, and everyone oohed and awed at the picture of an older, warrior version of Usopp sailing on a ship. I gave him what was basically a giant version of his regular slingshot, not wanting to give anything away, but who knew? Maybe it would get him thinking. Underneath the picture was the words, “Great Warrior of the Sea”.

“This is so cool!” Usopp said. “It’s like a picture of my dream!”

“My turn!” Chopper called out, opening his own. He looked at it, then turned to me, his lip quivering. “Thank you Kia!!” he cried, leaping for me, and giving me a hug.

“What is it?” Sanji asked, and Chopper calmed down enough to show it to everyone. It was a picture of him in the middle, Dr. Kureha on one side, and Dr. Hiriluk on the other. Although I knew what he looked like, I had gotten Chopper to tell me about him a few times, and I was glad, because he was a little different than I had remembered.

“I’ll hang it up where I treat patients!” Chopper declared.

“That’s so neat, Kia!” Nami said, as she opened her own. I had gone with a more comedic theme for Nami’s, showing her swimming through a giant pile of money, with a huge map on the wall behind her.

She turned to grin at me. “Two dreams in one, huh Kia?” she said and I chuckled. “Well, everyone will want to pay for a copy of your map, Nami,” I replied. “So of course you’ll charge outlandish prices and become filthy rich!”

“Ah, what a great thought!” she said, and we moved on as we could tell she was lost in the thought of money.

“Your turn, Zoro!” Luffy called, and Zoro opened his own, though, he looked at it himself before showing it to everyone else.

“It looks like an epic battle,” he said with a grin at me, and I smiled back. 

“Do you like it?” I asked, and he nodded.

“It’s good to have reminders of what you’re fighting for. And you got the struggle really well.”

“I can’t tell who’s winning…” Usopp commented, looking at the scene of Zoro fighting Mihawk.

“That depends on how you look at it,” I said, and he turned his head to look at it differently. I chuckled, and said, “no, I mean, it depends on how you want to see it. I see Zoro winning, eventually, but it will be a fight for everything. There will be wounds, sacrifices, that sort of thing.”

“Yeah, I can see the blood!” Luffy said, looking closer.

“Don’t mess it up,” Zoro said blandly, pulling it towards himself, and nodding at me. “Thanks Kia,” he said, and I smiled.

“You’re welcome,” I answered.

“Robin!” Luffy called, and Robin, gave a shrug and opened her own. There was many things I had thought of for Robin, but most would have given me away, so I settled for a picture of the crew. 

“Wow!” several of the them said, as she showed it off. It was a scene of the crew in a circle, having a picnic. Luffy and Chopper were dancing with chopsticks in their noses, Usopp was sleeping, his belly rotund. Nami was laying down on her stomach, reading, and Zoro was laying down on his back, lifting hand weights but looking like he was sleeping. Robin and I were sitting together with Sanji pouring us each a drink, and we were laughing at Luffy and Chopper’s antics. The main point of the picture, was to convey the togetherness, and the fun of the crew.

“I don’t remember this picnic,” Nami said as she looked at the picture.

“It wasn’t from a memory,” I replied. “More of… an idea that we’re friends, and that’s what we’d do if we had time.”

“I like it!” Luffy exclaimed, smiling. “We need one of all of us to hang up for everyone to see!” he said. “Oh, and then you can draw in all the friends we meet along the way… like… like a never ending picnic of all our friends!!”

“Wow! That’s a great idea!” Chopper grinned over at me. “Do you think you could do it?” he asked me.

“Um… probably?” I guessed. “But I’d need you guys to help me with the friends you’ve made that I haven’t met. And I would either need a really big paper, or we’ll have to make a collage of sorts. I’ll think about it, and let you know, okay captain?” 

“Okay!”

“Mr. Cook, I believe it is your turn,” Robin said, and we waited for Sanji to open his picture. I took quite a few liberties with this one, but the idea was represented, and that was the point. Sanji was in his apron, and a kitchen could be seen in the background. 

Sanji stood in front of a giant wall, where there were four fish tanks, labeled for each of the seas, full of different fish in each, and Sanji had his hand on his chin, as if he was thinking of what he would choose to cook.

“Kia-” For once, Sanji didn’t coo when he spoke directly to me, and I turned to make eye contact. 

“I didn’t know exactly what the All Blue looks like,” I said and smiled. “but once you find it, I imagined you’d find a way to take your own portable version.”

“Thank you Kia my darling!!” he did a happy dance, and I couldn’t help but laugh as he tried to pull me into a dance as well, but I avoided the grab.

“It’s my pleasure!” I answered. “I had fun drawing them, and I wanted to make sure you all know how glad I am that you’re my friends… my family away from home! Happy Birthday!”

 

* * * * *

 

“I am so tired of being chased by marines!” Usopp complained loudly as he and Zoro rowed the oars with all their might. 

“Keep rowing, or they’re going to catch us!” Nami yelled down to him, and he gritted his teeth and kept rowing. 

“I think we’re getting ahead of them!” I yelled from the crow’s nest, and right then one of the ships behind us blew apart, and the others stayed behind to help their comrades.

“Ha ha!” Usopp spoke as we sailed away from our pursuers. “Eventually those rats would turn on their own, just as I predicted from the start!” 

“Just when did you predict that?” Zoro asked flatly.

“Hey! We lost them!” Nami cheered.

“We would have gone faster if Luffy had helped!” Sanji growled at our captain.

“I’m so hungry I can’t even move!” Luffy replied.

“How about a taste of the back of my hand?!” Sanji threatened.

“Land ho!” I called out, breaking the tension, and everyone ran to check it out.

“It looks like a harbor!” Chopper called out.

“A harbor means a town, a town means restaurants, and restaurants mean food!!” Luffy cheered, as we anchored the Merry near the harbor by some cliffs.

Nami, and Robin were the first to disembark while the boys secured the ship, looking around at our new stop, Nami talking about going shopping.

“I could eat,” Robin added.

“Halt!” A voice interrupted, and a couple of guard looking fellows came around the bend. “All harbour taxes must be paid before you can enter Luluka!” 

“But,” Nami responded calmly, “if we’re going to trade in town, why do we need to pay a tax?”

“Because it’s your duty!” the man replied angrily, and Nami was taken aback by his attitude. “Now pay up, or you’ll regret it!” 

Before Nami could answer, Sanji had placed himself in between her and the guards. “Don’t you speak to the lady like that,” he said quietly, his voice hard.

“Or what?” the guard asked snidely.

“FOOD!!!” Luffy and I were the last off the ship, and I watched in amusement as he barreled over everyone in his way, including Sanji and the guards, chanting “food…food…food!” the entire time.

“I’m watching the ship today Kia,” Zoro said, giving me a push forward. “Why don’t you go with Luffy?” 

I turned back to see there was nothing left of Luffy but a trail of dust, Robin and Usopp already heading out after him.

“Or shopping with Nami,” he changed his mind as he saw they were gone.

“Okay Zoro, if you’re sure you don’t want to go…” 

“You’re not going to get stronger staying back on the ship,” he said with a look. “Oy! Curly brow! Kia’s coming with you!” he called, and though Sanji yelled an insult back at him, he, Nami and Chopper waited happily for me.

“You need anything?” I asked. “Wait, don’t tell me…. some booze.” 

“Maybe Luffy is right, you _are_ like a little sister,” he smirked at me, and I stuck my tongue out at him, and joined my group for the day.

 

* * *

 

“I’m so glad you decided to buy that last outfit, Kia!” Nami said as we walked out of our seventh store. Chopper and Sanji were laden down with bags and packages, most of which were Nami’s. 

“I’m glad you talked me into it,” I replied with a smile, “though I have no idea when I’ll ever wear it. I don’t wear skirts much, and it’s shorter than I would normally go for.” 

“What are friends for?” she said with a grin, which turned into a smirk. “If only there was a handsome pirate around for you to show it off for?” 

“Oh, stop!” I laughed at her teasing. 

Chopper looked back saying, “Huh?” 

Sanji looked at him, replying, “She must mean me!” He said with a strange look on his face. Then straightening, he cleared his throat and explained. “Girls enjoy looking their best for guys that they love,” he said, which had Chopper nodding in understanding. _Must be some kind of mating ritual,_ he thought.

“Oh…” he said. He turned back to the girls and said, “so you’re going to show the outfit to Luffy then, Kia?” he asked, and I practically tripped.

“Huh?” I asked as I steadied myself. “Why would you say that Chopper?” I asked.

“Well you said yesterday that you loved Luffy,” he said, now confused again. _Humans were so strange!_ “And girls show off for guys they love…” he explained.

“Oh Chopper,” I said, relieved that this was all it was. “I love Luffy, sure! Just like I love you, and Sanji, and Nami, Usopp, Zoro, and Robin! Like my family.”

“Oh, I see!” Chopper giggled. “Wait, but then, who will you show off for?” 

“Yes, Kia… who indeed?” Nami asked with another smirk.

“No one Chopper,” I muttered, turning pink. “Absolutely no one.” 

I could see Sanji walking, seeming a little down, so I decided to help him feel better. “I do need a new swimsuit,” I said to Nami with a smile, watching Sanji jump and start doing his little happy dance again.

“Well let’s find you one then,” she said with a roll of her eyes, leading the way to the next shop.

After finding a few swimsuits, we left the store and started walking back towards the ship at a leisurely pace. As we headed for the stairs, a man stepped into our path. And the strange thing was, he was wearing a robotic suit.

“I am the mayor’s grandson, and it is my duty to collect all outstanding taxes!” He stated grandly. Sanji stepped forward, blocking us from his view.

“I’d leave if I were you, or you are going to get hurt,” he smirked, excited to protect us.

“Ha! Just try it!”

Sanji wasted no time, running forward and leaping to kick the machine, but before his kick struck, he was stopped by a giant current of electricity, shocked, and fell to the ground. He shook his head saying, “Whoa, that packed a punch.”

Nami ran back around the corner, and Chopper pulled me back by my shirt.

“Sanji! Be careful!” Nami called, and Sanji turned with love in his eyes.

“Oh Nami! You’re worried about me??” He cooed.

“No! You’re still holding my bags!” Chopper and I both turn to glare at Nami.

“Nami that was harsh!” I hissed at her.

“Well, I can’t tell him if I am actually worried, because he’ll think I’m in love with him!” she hissed back.

“That’s... okay, that’s true,” I replied. 

“Besides, I’m not worried,” she said. “Sanji’s a monster, he can take this guy.” We looked back as Sanji dodged an electrical attack that was flung at him.

“He must have a devil fruit power,” Chopper said, and I focused in on the machine.

“No…” I replied. “Look behind him!” 

“A portable generator?!” Chopper shouted in surprise. There were a couple of wires coming out the back of the mechanical suit, hooked to a stationary bicycle that when pedaled, would conduct electricity for the suit. Another man was pedaling as fast as he could to provide electricity for the first man to wield against us.

Sanji wasn’t listening, and ran forward to attack again, only for the same thing to happen, getting electrocuted.

“Sanji, if you get my things damaged, I’ll pound you!!” Nami yelled at him.

“If they are so important, why doesn’t she carry them herself?” Chopper asked me quietly. 

“Sanji won’t let us carry anything,” I answered, and he replied, “oh yeah.”

I had enough, and jumped up, running towards Sanji and yelled, “Come on! With those wires attached, they can’t keep up with us if we run!” back to Nami and Chopper. I grabbed Sanji’s arm and pulled him with me, as we ran away from the machines. The man inside tried to run after us, and the wires pulled taut and then pulled him back, and he fell over.

We kept running, all the way back to where we had docked the Merry, only to find that it was gone, and no one was around.

“What happened?!” Nami yelled. “It’s gone!”

“But… Zoro was on board, he wouldn’t just let anyone take it,” I said, confused.

“Those people collecting taxes, must have taken the Merry and Zoro!!” Chopper wailed.

“Stupid Moss-head!!” Sanji groused.

 

* * * * *

 

“Not this guy again,” Chopper complained.

We had made our way around the shore to the harbor, and ran right into the man in the electric suit.

“Quit your whining and let’s go!” the man said with a smirk. Sanji knew he couldn’t attack, so he just stood in front of us with his arms out, determined to not let us get hurt, as something came flying from behind the man in the suit, striking him hard and causing him to topple over. 

We looked over, seeing the small coin rolling around on the ground.

“Was that you?!” he demanded, as his men helped him stand back up.

“Uh, it hit you in the back..” I said. “How would we have done that?” 

“And if we say it was?” Sanji challenged.

The man bent down, picking up the coin and pocketing it. “Thank you for paying your taxes. Let me be the first to welcome you to Luluka,” he said as he climbed out of the suit.

“Huh??” we responded.

However, he wasn’t done with us, and we listened as he told us what happened to the Merry and our friends that were aboard. Nami was practically drooling at the thought of all that treasure, but I was a little more worried, as I remembered what the Rainbow mist was.

 

* * * * * 

 

Before we knew what had happened, the mayor and his guards were upon us. Nami mentioned helping finding the treasure inside the mist, and the mayor told us that we would have to pay the “finding out a secret” tax which equaled 400 million beri, 100 million for each of us. He threatened that we would be taken prisoner and put to work since we couldn’t pay it.

He called the tax collection squad, which ended up being his son, Phillip, who ignored us and looking out at the mist, practically jumped for joy. “Now we can go collect the treasure!” he said to the mayor.

“It must be a burden having such an idiotic family,” Nami commented dryly, and the rest of us snickered.

“You have no idea,” the mayor replied, then realizing what he said, he snapped at Phillip. “Contact Henzo!”

We watched on as Phillip set up some sort of desk, pulling out a transponder snail and placing it upon it. He then sat at the desk and dialed a number.

“Yep? Hi! Uh, hello?” I smiled as I recognized Luffy’s voice on the other end.

“Well well, Professor Henzo,” Phillip began and Luffy cut him off.

“Huh? Who is this anyway?” 

“What?” Phillip asked, looking at the receiver. “Wait a second… who are you?!” he demanded, and Sanji reached over and grabbed the receiver out of his hand, holding it out so we could all speak.

“Hey Luffy,” he said, and I chimed in with, “Hi Captain!” 

“Where the heck did you guys go?” Chopper asked.

Nami grabbed the receiver out of Sanji’s hand, highly annoyed. “You guys! You ran off with the ship, and left us in a pretty sticky situation you know!”

“Hey, it’s Nami,” Luffy said, and we all shook our heads.

“Is this the outside world?” A new voice spoke, taking over for Luffy. “Phillip? Are you there?” 

Phillip reached out and grabbed the receiver back. “Yes! Professor, what is your location?” 

“I am currently inside the Rainbow Mist!” the answer came, and we all looked over to the mist above the water. “At the moment, we are unable to escape it,” the professor continued. “Someone will need to equip the safety search gear I invented and come to rescue us. Oh, and tell Whetton to remember-”

“Cah-lick!” We stared at the snail, as the call disconnected in the middle of the professor’s sentence.

“So they are all in that weird mist, huh?” Sanji said as he finished his cigarette and made sure it was out, before putting the end in his pocket. 

“So, what should we do?” I asked, looking at Nami. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” she replied. “We go inside the mist and get them.”

“Just a minute,” Mayor Whetton said. “I already told you, you must have my permission to go in there.”

Nami ignored him, and turned to his grandson Blake. “Hey there,” she said sweetly, “where is the safety gear the professor was talking about?” she asked.

“Oh, here you go,” he answered with a smile, handing her a box.

We all smiled, and Sanji and Chopper and I picked up our bags, and Nami carried the box as we all took off running. “Thank you!” we yelled back.

We got a pretty big head start before they started yelling and running after us. “And here I thought they’d let us peacefully run off into the sunset,” Sanji said with a smirk. 

“There!” Nami said, and we stopped at a small rowboat. I moved the packages from our shopping out of the way, and Chopper changed to his heavy point, as he and Sanji stood waiting for the others to catch up with us, ready to fight to give Nami time to row out to the mist.

Before anything happened, however, a giant sea king rose out of the water, and saw Nami’s small boat. It started following her, and she screamed as she rowed frantically. 

“Nami! Try the safety gear!” I yelled to her, as the mayor and his men sat smirking, thinking the sea king would stop us, so they didn’t have to.

Nami opened the box, finding nothing but a really long rope. Seeing the sea king in front of her roaring, the three of yelled her name, and she covered her head with her hands.  
The sea king roared again, thrashing its head, and then took off suddenly, and we all looked at each other in surprise. This story arc was not one I was really familiar with, not like the rest, and I couldn’t remember what had happened to make the sea king leave, but was just glad it had.

“Chopper! Catch!” Nami flung the end of her clima-tact which had the end of the rope tied to it. 

“What? I can’t catch that!” Chopper exclaimed as he tried to catch it, and it hit the guard standing behind him, dropping the rope into his hands. “Hey! I did it!” he cheered, grinning at me, and I giggled.

“Will you help me tie it to my wrist?” he asked me and I scooted over to help. I wrapped it a few times around his wrist and tied it off.

“That’s it!” the mayor said and we turned to look at him.

“The Mayor…” Phillip said highly, as guards pulled a curtain in front of him, “is changing!”

The curtains opened, and the mayor was now in a different mechanical suit. Blake ran for his electrical suit, and Chopper and I look apprehensively at each other. We both jumped up, as the mayor started shooting fire from the arms of his suit, and Sanji grabbed me from Chopper, helping get to behind a wall, then running back out to fight.

He ran towards the mayor, who had just caught Chopper in his flames, and Phillip shot a net out of a bazooka, trapping Sanji and making him fall to the ground, where the mayor shot flames at him too.

“No!!” I yelled running out, and stopped as everyone else did, as Chopper’s arm moved several times as the rope was tugged on from the other end.

“Pull it in!” the mayor said, and Phillip reached to take the rope from Chopper, who dodged every attempt.

“I promised I wouldn’t let go of the rope until Nami was back!” he yelled to them, running away from them as Sanji stood up, and lit a cigarette.

“Ridiculous!” Whetton yelled at Chopper.

“We’ll do whatever we have to, to ensure Nami comes back safely!” Sanji yelled, jumping out at Whetton, only to be blocked by Blake’s suit, getting electrocuted once again. I ran over to him, as the guards pulled the boat in, and we saw a pirate in the boat full of treasure, not Nami.

“That’s not good,” I said quietly, and turned back to Sanji. “You okay?” I asked, helping him up.

“Yeah,” he answered roughly.

“Chopper?” I asked.

“I’m okay,” he replied.

We watched in defeat as the men all left for the rainbow tower. Sanji and Chopper looked pretty rough, and I ordered them to take it easy, and get their strength back before we did anything else, saying that Nami wouldn't have left the boat unless she found the crew, so she was probably with them now, and that made them feel better.

We watched in disbelief as the tower fell over into the water, and then extended all the way out to the mist. “So that’s how they are going to get the treasure,” I commented, and we could see a pile growing outside of the tower in the distance.

We sat there for awhile longer, and Sanji finally spoke. “It sure is quiet,” he said.

“Yeah,” Chopper replied. “I wonder if everyone is all right,” he worried.

“Don’t know,” Sanji answered, and Chopper jumped up, angry.

“Don’t know?? How can you be so casual? Do you even care if they are all right?” He demanded.

“They don’t need me to worry about them,” Sanji dismissed, and I smiled.

“Yeah, they’re strong, they can handle anything those goons try,” I added.

“I’m more concerned about the mayor.”

“Huh?” Chopper and I turned to look at Sanji in question.

“Well,” he said, “if Luffy takes care of him, I won’t be able to pay him back.”

“I guess I understand that,” Chopper admitted.

Sanji stood up then, looking over at the rainbow tower. “Coming?” he asked Chopper.

“Yeah,” Chopper said as he stood up as well, and I followed suit.

“Kia dear, you should stay here,” he said and I glared at him. “We don’t want you to get hurt.”

“If I always shy away from danger, than I can’t call myself a straw hat pirate,” I replied and started walking towards the tower, Sanji and Chopper quickly catching up to walk beside me.

We were almost there when a huge explosion roared out at the end of the tower that was connected to the mist, and the tower cracked all over, and like a chain reaction, it slowly caved in and fell beneath the water.

“What happened?!” Chopper exclaimed. “The rainbow tower is gone!”

“Look over there!” I shouted over the dust, “the mayor!”

They looked where I pointed and we saw the mayor running to a huge stack of bags and chests full of treasure! He started pawing through it all, ranting about how it was all his, and he didn’t have to share with anyone.

His back was to us, and Chopper growled, and changed into his full reindeer form, and ran for him. He head butted him, sending him rolling over the treasure before he stopped up against a chest. Sanji and Chopper were there to glare down at him.

“Hey,” Sanji glowered. “Our friends were inside that mist. Would you like to explain what happened to them?” he asked threateningly. “You had better not tell us you were the only one who came back out!”

The mayor looked nervous, and it was obvious that that was exactly what happened.

“Answer me!” Sanji demanded, and Whetton tried to buy time stammering as he reached behind him, grabbing a piece of treasure, and lifted it with a tilt to use the sun to blind us, then he ran off.

He had a head start, but I watched as Sanji and Chopper ran after him, and knew they would have no problem catching him. I looked down, knowing that Nami would want some of it, plus we would need some money for supplies. I looked around me, then bent down, opening my new bag, and filling it quickly. Then I stood, taking a moment to adjust to the new weight, and walked leisurely after the boys.

I came up to them as Sanji kicked part of a wall in demonstration of what he would do to the mayor, who replied in a shaky voice, “Hitting the mayor has a tax of 90 million beri! Are you sure you want to do that?” 

“Sure,” Sanji replied with a smirk. “Doesn’t matter to me, because I’ll just skip out on it anyway.”

“What?” Whetton looked shocked. “But paying taxes is your duty!” he said aghast, and Sanji smiled.

“I’m a pirate,” Sanji said. “Pirates aren’t exactly tax paying citizens you know.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess that’s true,” Whetton mumbled.

“I thought you were going to pay him back Sanji,” I said. “Not chat with him.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m getting there,” Sanji replied, still smiling.

“Hey guys!” Chopper called. “Look! The mist is disappearing!”

We both looked out at the water, seeing the mist dispelling into the air.

Whetton started laughing, and doing the normal bad guy monologue, but we weren’t listening, wondering what was going to happen to our friends.

“Aah! Look!” Chopper yelled, pointing up, where right above the town there was a large rainbow hole in the sky.

“Wha-??” Sanji and I both said, looking dumbfounded. The looks turned to shock as the Going Merry came flying out of the hole in a huge gust of wind, sending it flying towards the water, as the wind ripped apart the large mansion on the hill at the top of the town. 

“The Merry!!” Chopper yelled excitedly. “I hope everyone is okay!”

“My mansion!” Whetton cried in anguish. “My money!!”

There was a large crack, and we were horrified to see the mast of our ship break and fall over, crashing through the railing, as well as the figurehead snapping off, and bobbing in the water.

“Oh no!” I said, running forward.

“My beautiful ship!” Usopp wailed as he pulled himself up to the dock. And right behind him was everyone else! 

“Luffy!” I shouted happily, and he grinned at me.

“Hi Kia! Long time no see! Shi shi shi!”

I moved to give him a hug, and said, “You almost had me worried!” then moved to check on the others.

“You guys!” Chopper yelled, as Sanji yelled, “Nami my love!” and they both ran over.

“Nami!” Sanji called out as he came up to her, and she snarled, punching him in the head. He fell to the ground, very sad, and cried, “but why Nami dear?” 

“I’m so annoyed, I could scream!” she yelled, and stalked away from us.

“Scary!!” Chopper yelled, and tried to hide behind me, even though he was in his heavy point. Usopp came over and whispered to us.

_“All the treasure she had on deck got blown away and she isn’t taking it very well. I wouldn’t get close to her right now if I were you.”_

We nodded, checking Sanji over to make sure he was okay, just as some marines showed up. I just watched, realizing as they were speaking that some sort of time travel had happened, and these were actually the kids that the crew met inside the mist. They gathered up the mayor, who basically called himself a pirate, and confiscated all the treasure.

They acted as if they were going to arrest us as well, but in the end, gave themselves an out so that we could leave. Luffy laughed and laughed, enjoying their company, and I made sure to study each of them so that I could draw them later.

I finally met the professor, as he helped us patch up the Merry, so that we could sail, and we finally set off. Luffy climbed up onto his special seat, and gave a huge sigh.

“That place was pretty cool, wasn’t it?” he asked us, as we stood on deck together behind him.

“I’ve had more than enough of that pirate graveyard,” Nami replied testily.

“Well it’s not like I want to live there, but it would be nice to visit,” he responded, and everyone looked at him like he was crazy.

“I can’t believe you enjoyed it!” Chopper exclaimed. “Besides, isn’t all the treasure gone now?” he asked.

“Oh yeah! I forgot!” I said, and they looked at me. I smiled at Nami, and taking off my bag, I opened the flap to show them the inside.

“Kia!!” Nami yelled, practically drooling. “Where did you get that?” 

I giggled at the look on her face. “When Sanji and Chopper were chasing the mayor, I filled my bag up. I knew we needed some supplies, and there was a mountain of stuff, I didn’t think anyone would miss it.” I smiled as I looked at my friends. “Besides, don’t pirates steal treasure?” I asked.

They all started laughing with me, giving me thumbs ups and congratulations. 

I looked up at Luffy, “I have a suggestion Captain,” I said, and everyone quieted down. “I think we should use this to get the Merry fixed.”

Luffy looked at me in consideration, before a grin filled his face, and he stretched his arms to me, wrapping around me and rocketing over, shouting “Great idea!!” He crashed into me, and we fell to the deck, though he made sure to turn so that I fell on top of him, and we laughed again.

“Maybe I’ll keep a little to buy some celebratory steaks?” I said and Luffy grinned wider.

“Yeah!!” he agreed, and we both laughed some more.

We had just stood again, when Zoro held his hands out. “Is that…rain?” he asked.

We all held our hands out as well, catching small pieces of … wood. “No way,” Sanji said. “That’s not rain.” Usopp started screaming, and I looked up.

“AAH!!!” several more screamed, myself included as a gigantic ship came falling upside down towards us, right out of the sky!


	38. There's An Island Up There?

The galleon splashed down near the Merry, causing waves to form, that almost capsized us. We held on for our lives, as debris kept falling around us. Chopper wouldn’t stop screaming, until he and Usopp crashed into each other, which somehow made them decide that it was all a dream, and they just gave up and laid down on the deck. 

Once Usopp decided to open his eyes, he found himself with a face full of a skeleton that had fallen as well, and he quickly threw it away from himself. Unfortunately, he threw it right at Nami, whose screaming at that slight brought Sanji’s wrath out at Usopp. Needless to say, there was quite a ruckus, even after the sea had finally calmed.

Luffy was the first to speak, giving voice to the thought each of us were asking. “All right. Why did a ship just fall out of the sky??” He asked as he stared at the sky.

“Uh, Captain error?” Sanji guessed.

“The sky is clear,” Zoro stated. “Who knows?” 

“Why did I come to the Grand Line?” Usopp muttered as he paced the deck.

“This is scary,” Chopper whined in my ear, as he hugged me. The poor guy was shaking, and I patted his back.

“Don’t think of it like that Chopper,” I said. “Think of it as an adventure.”

“How?” he asked me, and I smiled as his shaking stopped.

“Well, how many people can say that at the start of their adventure, they saw a ship fall from the sky?” I asked.

“Well, not many, that’s for sure,” he said as he leaned back to look at me. Then rushed forward again in a hug, “but it’s still kinda scary.”

“Huh,” Nami said to herself, and we all looked over.

“What is it?” Sanji asked. “You okay? Robin?” he asked checking on each of them. I pouted slightly, as I realized this sister idea of Luffy’s was really taking hold. It made Zoro a lot nicer, and more helpful, but it also made Sanji see me as family, not as a “lady,” which was good, but a little sad.

“Uh, I think the log pose is broken,” she answered. “It’s pointing straight into the sky!” 

“No Miss Navigator, the log pose is not broken. The log pose registers an island with a strong magnetic pull and hte needle is reflecting that. If the needle is pointing up… then it must be pointing toward Sky Island,” Robin answered, still looking up.

“Sky Island??” Everyone repeated.

“See?” I said quietly to Chopper, “adventure!” 

“There’s a floating island up there?” Luffy asked, looking excited.

“That’s ridiculous,” Zoro said with a blank expression, and he looked up again. “I don’t see anything but sky.”

“That’s not exactly how it works,” Robin answered. “It’s not just an island above us, but an entire ocean.”

“No way,” Nami muttered.

Sanji looked on, his arms crossed over his chest. “I’m… still confused,” he said.

“Yeah!!” Luffy shouted. “Raise the sails, and set our course for sky island!”

“Set the rudder and point the bow into the sky!” Usopp chimed in, no longer scared.

Robin took that moment to cover Luffy’s mouth with a few extra hands, and Usopp started crying as he realized what he had just been saying.

“Did it finally hit you?” Sanji asked. “You know, how we can’t fly and all that?” 

“I’m sure we can make it somehow,” I added, and Luffy’s grin was back as he turned to me. “But… we’ll need more information so our navigator can set a course.”

“Come to think of it,” Robin said. “The only thing I know about Sky Island is from word of mouth, rumor. I’ve never actually seen it.” 

“Of course not!” Nami looked at both of us in exasperation. “Because it’s a lie! The log pose is simply broken, that’s all. Islands don’t float in the sky.”

“Not exactly-” Robin started just as I said, “Nami, look-” we both stopped, and smiled, and Robin gestured for me to continue.

“Remember what everyone has told us since we came to the Grand Line? The only thing we can trust is the log pose. This is the sea where anything can happen, right? So instead of trying to fix something that is working fine, we should be focusing on trying to find a way to follow our log pose.”

“Yes,” Robin agreed and nodded. “That needle is pointing toward an island, I’d bet my life on it.”

I glanced around, then turned back to Robin. “You want to see what you can find out from our friend here?” I asked pointing to the skeleton. “I’ll go with the Captain and see if we can find anything else in the wreckage around us.”

“Very well,” she replied, and headed towards the skeleton as I put Chopper down and called for Luffy.

“Adventure time!” I said, and Usopp declared he was coming too. “Okay men, we need to find clues if we’re going to get to Sky Island!”

“Yes Sir!” they said back to me, and we headed out, jumping from piece to piece of wreckage, looking for anything.

Chopper, meanwhile, hid his face behind the mast, not happy about what Robin was doing. Nami kept shaking the log pose, trying to get it to point somewhere else, and Zoro and Sanji watched in varying levels of interest as Robin pieced a skull back together.

“What do you hope to discover from a skeleton?” Zoro asked.

“Don’t know,” Robin answered without looking up. We’ll have to see if he has anything to tell us.”

Zoro grumbled, looking around. “I hope Luffy isn’t getting into trouble,” he said.

“Don’t worry,” Chopper said. “Kia and Usopp are with him.” 

“That makes it worse, Kia gets him riled up,” Zoro muttered.

“And done,” Robin said as she put the skull down. Sanji was quite impressed. 

“Hey, looks good as new,” He praised. “But what are these holes from? A bullet, or a spear?” 

“Not quite, but good guess,” she answered. “I believe they are from a medical practice called craterization, right Doctor?” she asked Chopper.

Chopper looked over, and nodded. “An ancient practice where they drilled holes in the skull to remove a foreign mass like a tumor. The resulting crater is where the name came from,” he answered.

“Based on that knowledge, I estimate this man to have lived about 200 years ago. I can also tell you that he was in his thirties when he died. It must have been during his voyage on the galleon that he died, however that happened, I cannot say.”

The others looked at her, impressed and surprised, but she wasn’t finished. “Compared to his bones, his teeth are in surprisingly good condition, because he rubbed tar on them. It was a common practice in the South Blue to keep out bacterial infections, and considering the history of that region, I’d guess he was with an exploratory party.” She grabbed a book, flipping through the pages, until she came to a section about a ship called the St. Briss.

“Here it is,” she said, and the others crowded closer. “The St. Briss was launched 208 years ago.”

“That’s it.” Nami sounded surprised. “That’s the ship that fell on us!” 

“Yes,” Zoro agreed. “I recognize that figurehead.”

“It’s amazing what you can tell from old bones!” Nami said, giving Robin a smile.

“Dead men may tell no tales, but everything around them does.” Robin said. “If that ship was from an exploratory party, there must be more information on board.”

 

* * * * * 

I wasn’t quite as adept as Luffy and Usopp in jumping from the pieces of the wreck, but I did a much better job of exploring, at least at first. Soon however, Luffy was tossing me to each new piece of wreckage, and most of them couldn’t hold up to the extra weight, and sank. 

Then I somehow got roped into a game of red light/ green light, which was admittedly, pretty fun. I got Luffy back by staying red light long enough that the piece he was standing on began sinking, and he freaked out and moved, losing the game.

“We’d better check that last piece before it sinks,” I said and we all headed over to jump over. “Wait, Luffy,” I said, before he could jump over. “If it sinks quickly, you could be in trouble, so let me go first.”

“Okay, Kia,” he said cheerfully, and I jumped over. “It seems…” I said, and Luffy jumped over to join me, “okay,” I finished. “Why do I bother?” I muttered. 

“I just don’t know,” Luffy answered me, and I grinned at him. “You take that side, I’ll take this side.”

“Got it,” he answered and we split up. 

A few minutes later Luffy found something, and he gave a whoop and ran back out to where he could see Usopp. “Hey Usopp! Look what I found!” he shouted. Seeing Kia, over with Usopp, he smiled even bigger, excited that he was the one who had found something. He started walking over so that he could jump over to them, and stopped as he tried to understand what they were yelling at him.

He could see them waving their arms frantically, and he quickly looked behind him, but there was nothing there. “What?” he called back, and went to move closer, when he just dropped, no longer strong enough to continue. “AAH! HELP ME!” he yelled, as he found himself in the water. It didn’t cover him completely, but the piece of ship he was on was rapidly sinking into the water.

“Usopp, hold my stuff!” I yelled, reaching down to pull my shoes off, when I heard the splash. I looked up to see Usopp already in the water and halfway to Luffy. I looked beside me, and there was his bag and shoes. He was much quicker than I had been.

I could see him grab Luffy and head towards the Merry, so I picked up his things, and started jumping back. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough to let me return dry, so I to had to jump into the water, and swim to the rope ladder.

Zoro moved me out of the way, and climbed halfway down the ladder in order to haul Luffy up, and finally we were all back aboard the Merry, while Nami lectured us.

Luffy stood up, panting, a huge grin on his face as he looked at everyone. “You won’t believe it! I did it!” he said. “I found the most incredible thing!” he held out a rolled up paper, and unrolled it for all of us to see.

It was a map of an island, with clouds all around it. “A map of the sky island?” everyone asked. 

“Yep!” Luffy answered, pleased.

“It’s called, Skypiea?” Nami asked as she took the map to look at it more closely. “It really is true then, there really is an island up there??” she asked, amazed.

“Wahoo!!” Luffy shouted, and he and Usopp and Chopper all started dancing and shouting about the sky island.

“Hold on a minute you guys,” Nami called out. “We still don’t know how to get there, if it even is possible, not to mention that there are a lot of fake treasure maps out there in circulation…” 

“Aaah…” the three of them deflated right before our eyes, looking like lost puppies, and Nami sweat-dropped. 

“Uh, I mean, sure it’s real! Its gotta be! But,” her voice became harsh as she chewed Luffy out. “We still have no idea how to get there, and this map isn’t going to help with that!”

“You’re a navigator, navigate us a way!!” he yelled back.

“What?! I can’t just make something happen out of thin air!!”

Everyone watched, as Nami finally got fed up, and punched Luffy in the head, making him fall. I sat down on the stairs with Robin, waiting for them to come to a decision.

“Are you all right?” Robin asked me quietly.

“Yes,” I replied. “Just tired.”

“Oh right, you were on watch last night, weren’t you?” 

“Yes. And it’s been a pretty eventful morning so far.”

We tuned back in to hear Nami tell everyone that we would need to salvage the ship that had sunk.

“Salvage!!” Luffy and Usopp yelled, carrying their fishing gear.

“Not with that!” Zoro yelled at them.

“Salvage?” Chopper asked Robin and I.

“Yes,” Robin answered. “But we won’t be able to pull the ship up. They’ll have to come up with a more refined plan.”

I stood up, and called out. “Usopp? Need some help?” 

 

* * * * *

 

“We’ll need something bigger for Luffy,” I commented as Usopp finished building a barrel scuba gear. “Just having the air is good enough for Sanji and Zoro, but Luffy can’t touch the water, remember?” 

“Right, right…” he said, thinking. 

“You work on that, I’ll do another just like the first,” I said, and he nodded as he worked through several ideas in his head. He finally decided to use another barrel to cover Luffy’s legs, along with the waterproof material he had used for the arms, for Luffy’s feet. Then we worked together to create the air hoses, and viola! We were done.

I was hoping that by helping, we’d have some extra time before the other salvagers showed up, plus I really enjoyed spending time with Usopp in his element. He could be a really big pain when he was scared, but otherwise, he was a great person to talk to, and was interested in almost everything, so he could talk about anything.

We brought the scuba gear out to the dock, and helped the guys suit up. I explained how it was going to work, and how they would get air. I then stressed how important it was to keep their air hoses free from getting tangled.

Usopp took over, describing how they could talk to us, and to be sure to let us know how things were going so we didn’t worry. At that point, I’m pretty sure all three of them were no longer listening.

“I’ve done stuff way more dangerous, but this is still an adventure! And… I can’t think of any of them right now.” Luffy said.

“Nami!” Sanji sang out. “I swear to find the answers you seek or I will refuse to return!”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Nami said with a smile.

“You’ll be safe!” Usopp said proudly. These barrels are my special design!”

“Good luck!” I said and the guys jumped over the side of the ship. Chopper went into his heavy point, and grabbed a hold of the brake lever, while speaking into the communicator hose.

“Can you guys call off?” he asked.

“This is Luffy!” Luffy said happily. “There’s a ton of monsters down here.”

“Wrong.” Zoro said. “They’re giant sea snakes.”

“This is Sanji. And… they’re staring at me,” Sanji said.

“Keep going!” Nami called. “Chopper, hold that brake tightly!” 

“I’m so glad I didn’t have to go,” Usopp said quietly.

“I’m going to just sit down for a minute,” I said, and went over to the side of the ship. If Zoro could sleep here, I’m sure I could grab a quick nap too.

The next thing I knew, I was jostled awake, as the ship was rocking precariously. “Huh? What’s going on?” I asked sleepily.

“Does anyone else see the monster the size of an island in front of us??” Nami screeched.

“It… it’s… a GIANT TURTLE!” I yelled, suddenly very awake.

“There’s no monster!” Usopp told himself, as he covered his eyes. “This is all a very stupid dream that we’re all having together for some reason.”

“A dream, right! Phew!” 

“You know, our boys just got eaten,” Robin informed them, and we all looked at the mouth of the turtle, to see the lines from the salvaging crew, as well as the air hose lines from our ship. “Yep, most definitely eaten.”

Chopper started running and crying. “A sea monster is eating my friends!! What am I going to do!!! Aaah!!”

“This is your fault!” Usopp pointed at Nami. “You said it would be safe! Do you think this is safe?!?”

“You’re right…” Nami was crestfallen, before looking up defiantly. “Sorry!” She shouted out towards the guys, and Usopp backed away.

The turtle began moving, dragging the two ships behind it, and we all panicked, though some more than others.

“We’ll have to cut the air hoses,” Robin said. “Or the turtle will drag us underwater.”

We looked over, to see the crew of the Masira pirates were pumping themselves up to go and save their captain.

“They’re right!” Usopp said. “It’s challenging times like these that prove what we’re made of!” 

“Usopp!” Nami called. “Cut the air hoses, and get us out of here!” 

“This is what we’re made of?” I asked as I glared at her, and she smiled sheepishly back at me, as Chopper called out, “Coward!!”

We started thinking of another plan, when the entire sky suddenly went dark as night. We all looked up and around, wondering how it could have happened.

“That’s the craziest cloud cover I’ve ever seen,” I stated, just as Nami pulled out a watch. 

”It’s impossible. No cloud can do that, and it’s too early to be this dark.”

“Remember, nothing is impossible,” I said, and she glared at me.

Before she could say anything however, Luffy was thrown up onto the deck, followed by Zoro and Sanji climbing aboard.

“Set sail, now!” Zoro said, panting.

“Yeah, that guy is crazy!” Sanji added.

“I’m so glad you guys are okay!” Usopp said, weeping happily. “Let’s hurry and get away from this turtle before anything else happens.”

“No,” Zoro said, pointing at us. “It wasn’t a turtle, it was a monkey! A crazy sea monkey, though, I shouldn’t be surprised that he and Luffy got along as well as they did.”

“Well, they’re both monkeys,” Sanji added.

“When he saw that we had taken stuff from the ship, he flipped out and went on a rampage!” 

“I’ve never seen a primate act that way!!” Sanji said incredulously.

“Yeah, that’s the captain of the salvagers, Masira. But how did you escape form the giant sea turtle?” Usopp asked. “He was really mad… though now he’s just sitting there like a statue…” 

Zoro and Sanji finally turned around, and saw the giant turtle. “We were inside that thing’s mouth??” they yelled together.

“Nothing gets past you guys,” I said sardonically, and they each gave me a dirty look. Luffy finally recuperated, and stood up. 

“Hey guys? When did night happen?” 

“Attention all hands!” Zoro yelled. “We’re getting out of here now! Stations!”

“Not so fast!” Masira jumped aboard the Merry. “Give me back what you stole!”

“Captain!” someone from his ship yelled. “Behind you!”

We all turned, looking behind him, and I admit, it was really frightening, even knowing what it was. But, knowing what it was, I didn’t freak out, thinking I would help explain it to the others.

I didn’t get the chance, as everyone screamed and jumped into action, rowing harder and faster than I thought possible. I was thrown off my feet, and rolled over, hitting the stairs with my head.

“Ow! Guys! Stop!!”

But nothing would stop them, as they rowed faster, until we finally passed out of the cloud cover, and the sunshine’s brightness stopped the rowing. Everyone fell over, exhausted and panting, as the ship slowly came to a stop on its own.

“It couldn’t have been real…” I heard Zoro mutter.

“The Grand Line, is an endless parade of mystery and annoyance,” Sanji stated after he lit a new cigarette. “Just look at the nightmare of getting through today.”

“First there was that galleon that fell on us,” Zoro started.

“the log pose’s needle started pointing to the sky,” Nami added.

“A psycho makeup-wearing gorilla showed up and blocks our way,” Usopp said.

“A giant sea turtle came and ate our salvage ship,” Chopper said.

“The sky became dark as night,” Robin added, deep in thought.

“Because the biggest monsters I’ve ever seen blocked out the sun!” Luffy finished.

“Oh please!” I yelled, and everyone looked to me in surprise.

“Even I was intimidated by them,” Masira said, and I turned to glare at him. 

“Get. Off. Our. Ship... Now.” I said slowly, with menace.

“Uh, yes Ma’am,” he said, and he ran and jumped off the side of the ship.

“Whoa, Kia…” Luffy started, and I whirled around on him.

“I’ll say it again. There is always an explanation.” Everyone looked at me in surprise, and I tried to calm my anger, because I knew I wasn’t really mad at them, I was tired and now I was hurt, and I was taking it out on them.

“What are you saying Kia?” Nami asked, and I just sat down where I was.

“Chopper? Can you check my head please? I hit it really hard on the stairs when I fell.” 

“Oh! I am sorry Kia! I’ll check it out right now!” He ran and got his bag and came back to help me.

“I mean,” I said to Nami, getting back to her question, “you have to look at it as finding the solution, not just thinking it is impossible. For example… I agree with Luffy.” 

“What?” several of the crew asked in shock, and Luffy grinned.

“Yes, I agree that the sun was blocked, and that’s why it was so dark. But,” I said with a look at Luffy, “I don’t think it was people that blocked it.” 

Luffy pouted. “Then what was it?”

“Well, my guess would be something closer to the sun than us, maybe something up in the sky? Weren’t we trying to find information about a sky island? Couldn’t it be that there are people there?”

“Hmm, an interesting theory,” Robin remarked, thinking it through. “It is possible, that the clouds such a place would be on, _would_ be dense enough to block the light from the sun.”

“But then why were they so huge?” Sanji asked.

“Look behind me,” I said, and several of them leaned over to see behind me.

“All I see is your shadow,” Luffy said. 

“Oh, I get it. The people on sky island aren’t that big, but being so far away, it made their shadows look gigantic,” Sanji deduced with a smile.

“Obviously it’s just a guess, but it does make sense,” Robin added. “What we saw didn’t have any features, like a giant would. It definitely could have been a shadow.”

“Wow, Kia, I’m surprised you were able to stay calm enough to figure it out,” Chopper said, as he put a salve on my neck. “It will be sore, but nothing is broken,” he added.

“Thanks Chopper,” I said, and changed the subject. “Well guys, should we look at your treasure?” I asked, wanting to get the focus off of me.

I watched happily as Nami declared all of their findings as junk, even going so far as to crush the armor that Luffy brought back.

“But Nami! If you find armor, you have to put it on! It’s the rule!” Luffy called after her retreating body.

I closed my eyes, knowing that Robin had taken the eternal pose to Jaya from Masira, and that we would soon be heading there. If only I could get another nap in between here and there.

“ALL HANDS ON DECK!” Luffy yelled out, and I slowly blinked my eyes open. It couldn’t have been more than a minute, but I felt as if I had almost been asleep. “SET OUR COURSE TO JAYA!”

“Wait a second,” Usopp said as he munched on a snack. “When we go to this Jaya place, won’t our log pose reset? Then we won’t be able to find our way to Skypiea.”

“ALL HANDS FULL STOP!” Luffy shouted, and he ran over to get in Nami’s face. “Wanna tell me why your messing with my head, Nami?” he demanded.

“I’m not. You’re the genius that set our course for Jaya.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. Well I didn’t know it would ruin our plan to get to Skypiea!”

“It’s not my fault you have the memory of a goldfish,” Nami retorted. “The log pose has always worked that way.”

“Yeah, guess so. Okay then, on to Skypiea!” 

“How are we going to get there, Captain?” Nami asked.

“We’ll probably have to ask for directions,” I added.

“Maybe someone in Jaya would know,” Luffy suggested.

“Very well, Jaya it is,” Nami said.

“Our log pose shouldn’t change if we only stay a very short time,” Robin suggested. Perhaps we pull into port and leave again before the log pose adjusts?”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Chopper and Usopp agreed with their mouths full.

“All right, full sail to Jaya people, and this time, it’s for real!”

I smiled, as I closed my eyes again, Sanji coming out with more food for the ladies, but I couldn’t muster the desire to eat. I just wanted to sleep.


	39. Mock Town

Ace was growing tired, and hungry. He kept his eye out for somewhere to stop to resupply and rest. That’s when he smelled something delicious. He didn’t even pause, just changed course to follow the scent. There was a large pirate ship in front of him, and it looked as though they were having a party. Well, he’d crashed worse places, and he tied off his skiff and jumped aboard. 

It was an extremely large crew, one he didn’t recognize, but due to the numbers, he was able to move in and sit down without any trouble. He began eating quickly, but not because he feared being caught. He was used to eating fast, or not eating at all.

He was on his third helping when he heard a woman say something about Luffy, and as he focused,he heard the captain say something about wanting to find Luffy, which made all his big brother instincts stand on end.

“If you’re looking for Luffy, I can tell you where he is,” he said, without turning around.

“See? This guy over here is going to tell us where he is. Problem solved… Hey hold on!” the captain shouted, and Ace looked up with a smirk as the others all gaped at him, the music stopped, and the party basically froze.

“Who are you??” the captain demanded.

Ace stood, making sure his hat was on straight, and turned. “Sorry for crashing your party,” he said. “but I simply couldn’t ignore the delicious aromas of your feast. My name is Portgas D. Ace, but you may call my Ace,” and he gave a bow.

“Oh, no need to be so formal,”the captain said with a smile, so Ace shrugged and grabbed a piece of meat, taking a large bite. The captain seemed to realize that he hadn’t gotten the answers he wanted, and lashed out.

“I mean, what are you doing here, you idiot? I couldn’t care less about what your name is, Mr. Portgas D. Ace!!”

“Uh, Captain?” A crew member said in hushed tones. “He’s the fire fist! Fire fist Ace! Commander of the Whitebeard pirates’ second unit!” The rest of the crew look on in awe, and Ace just continued to eat.

“Whitebeard?” several of them asked in shock, and Ace took that as a good sign.

“Ah, so you know the old man, huh?” and his head fell to the side as he started snoring.

“He fell asleep??” the crew cried out.

“Captain, this is our chance! If we take out Fire fist Ace, we’ll be famous!”

“What? No!” the captain shouted back, glaring at the man sprawled sleeping on his deck. “This is one lesson you must all learn. Listen, and listen well. _Never mess with the Whitebeard pirates!_ Whitebeard is without a doubt, the strongest pirate alive, and a merciless killer. In other words, DON”T CROSS HIM!!”

The captain prowled the deck, gazing at his crew, then down at the sleeping man. “Even if we were able to kill Fire fist Ace while he sleeps, Whitebeard would avenge the murder of one of his own with the fury of a thunderstorm!”

A snort altered the crew, and they watched in surprise as Ace sat back up and continued eating as if nothing had happened. “Sorry about that, must have dozed off,” he said. He looked around, confused. “Hey, why the long faces, this is a party isn’t it?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah, it is,” the captain replied. “Men! Commence having fun again!!” he called out, and the music started back up.

“So, Ace… what brings you way out here? I thought the Whitebeard pirates were in the New World?” the captain asked him.

“Whoa! You guys have a lion??” Ace shouted, and proceeded to make a flaming hoop for the lion to jump through.

After the lion showed off his stuff, and the crew had settled back down to eat more, Ace decided it couldn’t hurt to talk, after all he had been on his own for while, and missed the company.

“I’m out here searching for one of my crew members,” Ace said solemnly. “He did the unforgivable.”

“Oh no!” the lion tamer yelled. “He stole your pet?” 

“No you idiot,” the captain shouted. “He killed a fellow crew member!”

“That’s right, he did,” Ace continued. “He formed his own crew, and is now causing havoc and ruin everywhere he goes. I stopped at one island that his crew had completely destroyed, killing people for no reason.” 

“Oh, that’s bad,” someone said. “Even Captain Buggy doesn’t do that.” 

“Captain Buggy?” Ace asked.

“Yeah, what of it?” Buggy demanded.

“Nothing, just wanted to make sure I got it right, so I can tell others I meet of the generous, yet dangerous Captain Buggy and his crew,” he said with a smirk as the others all cheered and laughed.

“That’s right!!” Buggy agreed.

“Anyway, then I met this girl,” Ace paused as there were several hoots and cheers at that, “and this pirate had killed her friend. She looked so sad, but more, she was angry, like she wanted revenge, and then, I realized that I wanted my revenge to not just be about me, but about her too. So, I promised her, I would stop him. So here I am, still on the hunt,” Ace said, as he filled his plate again.

“So Ace…” one of the crew asked. “Is she pretty?” 

“Huh? Oh, Kiana? Yeah… she’s pretty.” 

“Well, how pretty?”

“Yeah man, give us the details!” several others called out, and Ace blanched.

“Uh, well, so after I left that island, I ran into her again, on a different island. Only this time, she had joined a pirate crew!” 

The crew’s response was varied and yet similar, egging him on, so Ace continued. It was somewhat nice to talk about all this to complete strangers, somehow freeing. “Yeah, not only that, they were trying to fit in with the local citizens, but the crew has gotten the women dancer girl outfits instead."

He laughed along with them, telling a few more details about his time with Luffy’s crew, without divulging any pertinent information. And all too soon, he decided he was full, and went on his way.

It was quite a time before he started thinking about other things besides Kiana though. He wondered if she still had his vivre card. It had been an impulse to give it to her, but all he had thought at the time, was that he wanted to be reunited.

 

* * * * *

 

“ACHOO!!!” 

“Wow, Kia, are you sick?” Chopper asked as he felt my forehead. “That was a lot of sneezing!” 

“Huh, I guess someone was talking about me,” I answered. “Maybe it was one of my sisters, so I should talk about them, and get revenge,” I said with a smile.

“Here, I saved you some dinner,” he said, handing me a small tray of octopus fritters. 

“Thanks Chopper,” I said, and dug in. Usopp and Luffy were still eating also, making me think that I hadn’t been asleep for long. 

“I keep thinking about Jaya,” he said, as he stretched out in front of me. “I wonder what kind of island it is.”

“I heard, it’s called the land of meat!” Luffy said, and Usopp scoffed.

“You don’t know that Luffy. You just wish it was, because we’ve been eating the same old junk for days.”

I winced, and scooted away from them, just as Sanji came up and took the dishes out of their hands. “Don’t like it? Don’t eat it. I’ll just give these to Robin and Nami,” he said as he took off, with Luffy and Usopp right on his heels. However, no apology could sway him, and eventually the boys gave up in getting their food back.

Luffy climbed up the figurehead, laying back and enjoying the nice weather.

“Shouldn’t we be there by now?” Zoro asked. 

“Yes,” Nami answered. “With it being so clear, we should have seen the coastline over an hour ago.”

“If we’re that close, then I guess I’ll go shower, and wake myself up,” I announced. 

“Hmm, good idea,”Nami said. “I’ll join you.”

“Ahem,” I cleared my throat, giving Nami a pointed look and nodding over towards Sanji, who looked like his nose was bleeding.

“Ah, right. Not _in the shower,_ Kia, just you know, getting cleaned up,” Nami said loudly.

“Great,” I replied, seeing Sanji deflate a little.

Usopp was nice enough to draw water for us, and we each had a quick shower, and I made mine frightfully cold, hoping to get my second wind… or third. True, I could just stay on the boat, but this was a momentous occasion, and I wanted to see all of the big events first hand.

“Hmm, now what are you going to wear?” Nami murmured, looking through the closet.

“Me? I’ll wear my jeans and a t-shirt, what else?” 

“Uh-uh Kia, remember? You said I could pick your outfit for you, for the next island,” she reminded me.

“Well yes, but that was for like, an uninhabited island, not this one.”

“Oh I see,” she glared at me. “You think I’ll embarrass you?”

“No,” I answered truthfully. “But you are much more willing to show off your assets than I am.”

“Well sure, but I’m not going to give your something that I would wear,” Nami replied, still looking through the clothes. “Aha!” she cried. “This one!” she held out one of the outfits I had bought on Luluka.

“I know I was happy when I bought it, but now…” I grimaced as I spoke. The capri pants were fine, but the top was a small halter top.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Let’s just say I have a bad feeling about this,” I answered, as I got dressed. I also had Nami help with my hair, as I decided to wear it down. It had grown longer in the time I had been in Drum Kingdom, but the waves were still there, though my bangs had grown out.

“I like this length,” Nami said, as she brushed through it. There are so many options! Not like mine,” she said.

“You’d look good with long hair,” I said, and she smiled. 

“I know, I remember that picture you drew.” 

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that,” I replied. “So, you’re wanting to go ashore?” 

“Yes, I want to talk to people about how to get to the island in the clouds. There’s a definite chance that it’s up there,” she answered.

“Well, we don’t have time for shopping trips on this island, but we’ll definitely have to on the island up there. It would be a once in a lifetime chance!” I said with a grin, and we finished, and headed back out to the deck.

“They’ve been shot!” we heard Chopper yell, and we headed in his direction.

“I don’t think they could have been shot, Chopper, I didn’t hear any gun fire,” Usopp said from the crow’s nest.

“I found a bullet!” Chopper held it up for him to see. “And judging by the trajectory, it came from that direction!”

We looked in the distance of where the island would show itself at any time, and Nami spoke as we walked up to Chopper. 

“Who’s been shot?” she asked, as Chopper pointed to Luffy, who was holding a few seagulls and yelling to Sanji about dinner.

“Are you saying shots came from an island we can’t even see yet?” she asked. “That’s impossible.” 

“Ahem,” I cleared my throat again, and Nami looked over. “I mean, highly improbable,” she corrected.

“I saw it happen with my own eyes!!” Chopper said, and looked back at me, and I wondered if he remembered the sharpshooter, Van Ogre, on the Blackbeard pirates’ crew.

We were all quiet as we came upon the island, everyone was excited at how nice and resort-like it looked. And then, they started to notice the other details.

“Uh, I think I’m losing it, but those look like pirate ships docked over there,” Usopp said.

“No way,” Nami countered, as a man was thrown to the dock as we approached. I saw who had thrown him, recognizing Jesus Burgess, also a part of Blackbeard’s crew, and I moved behind Usopp, turning so that I wouldn’t be noticed.

“What’s the matter with this place?” Nami yelled. “That’s it, I’m not going ashore. Luffy? You know what information we need, right?” 

“Yep! This looks like my kind of town!”

“We’ll fit in just fine,” Zoro added, as he jumped onto the dock after Luffy.

“Hey Luffy, I get to come, right?” I asked, and both Luffy and Zoro brightened as I jumped onto the dock.

“All right Kia!” Luffy cheered. “Though, you look different,” he said, studying me.

“Uh, I wore my hair down, so no one will recognize me,” I said. 

“Oh, okay,” he replied.

“Who’s going to recognize you?” Zoro asked skeptically.

“You never know,” I answered, and we began to walk away.

“There’s no way that those two can last even an hour without getting into trouble, and Kia can be even worse, she’s like a magnet!” Nami said from the ship, and I grinned.

“Looking at this place, I’d say fifteen minutes is a generous assumption,” Usopp added.

“You think so? Crap, I’d better go with them!” and she jumped off and ran up the dock. “Wait for me!”

I turned and grinned, welcoming Nami with us.

“Since when did you start wearing Nami’s clothes?” Zoro asked me bluntly. “You know what kind of attention that will bring us?” 

“The pirate kind?” I asked innocently, and he scowled at me. 

“Don’t be a jerk Zoro, Kia looks great!” Nami said cheerfully. “Although, make sure you protect her from any bad attention,” she added in what I assume I wasn’t supposed to hear.

“Hey, Kia can take care of herself,” I said hotly. “And besides, I don’t think Luffy would stand for any bad attention, do you?” I stated.

“That’s true, though we really don’t want to get into any fights,” Nami said. “If either of you cause problems, we’ll have to get out of town, and if that happens, we’ll never figure out how to get to sky island.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Luffy said.

“Promise me Luffy, no fighting.” Nami glared, and Luffy looked disappointed.

“All right, I promise.”

I gave Luffy’s back a pat in consolation, as a man fell off his horse right in front of us. I quickly stepped behind Luffy and turned away, listening as Luffy helped him up, and got an apple in return. An explosion happened and was very close, and the crowd yelled about a apple that exploded once it was bitten into.

“Luffy! Spit it out! Spit it out right now!!” Nami shouted, grabbing his throat.

“Don’t worry, it would have exploded on the first bite if it was a bad one,” the man said. “You’re lucky.”

We continued walking on, Nami complaining about the insanity of the town, and yelling at Luffy’s nonchalant attitude. “You should care more! You were almost killed for no reason at all!”

“Oh, well that was bound to happen sooner or later,” Luffy said, shrugging off the worry.

Jesus Burgess was now up on the roof, laughing hysterically, flexing and showing off his muscles. We kept walking, and I tilted my head a little, having my hair hang in a curtain, covering my face from his view. I saw Zoro glance at me, but I ignored it, and kept walking.

The people around us, spoke to each other about him, wondering who he was, and one man said he wanted to be the ultimate fighting champion, which stopped both guys in their tracks, and Nami and I had to pull them along.

We made it to the resort at the west end of town, and were stopped by a small man who was obviously the proprietor. “Excuse me, I have to ask you all to leave! The entire hotel has been rented out by Mr. Bellamy and his guests, and he asked that I tell others, like yourselves, to find different accommodations.”

“So one man rented out this whole place?” Zoro asked.

“So you must go! If Mr. Bellamy sees you here, I would lose my head!”

“Sounds like we’d better go guys,” I said, turning away.

“What’s going on here?” I could see the man speak, as he and a woman were walking in towards us. “Who are these scumbags, and what are they doing in our hotel?” 

“Mr. Sarquiss, welcome back! I was just informing them that there was no room available, and they were just leaving,” the owner said nervously.

“Who cares, just get rid of them!” the woman spoke now. “We’re paying a lot of money to have this place to ourselves!”

Sarquiss came up to Luffy, looking down on him. “She’s right, so get out of here, before I throw you out.” 

Luffy looked back for a moment, before turning to us. “Hey guys, would anyone mind if I beat him up?” he asked.

Sarquiss laughed. “You’re going to beat me up? Hilarious. If you want me to take you seriously, you should stop wearing rags. Here,” he said, as he reached in his pocket and threw money down at Luffy’s feet. “Go buy some new rags, so you don’t look like an orphan.”

“Sarquiss, you’re wasting your money on these losers,” the woman said.

“Yeah, but they are in such desperate need,” he said with another laugh.

“I’ll take free money,” Luffy said with a smile, but Nami grabbed his face and pulled him away, Zoro and I following.

“See you around… sweetheart,” Sarquiss said, adding the last bit as I passed by. I turned back to give him a disgusted look, and continued following the others back into the heart of town.

“I think, I could use a drink,” I suggested, and Zoro and Nami quickly agreed, so we headed to the nearest tavern.

As we went in the doors, I could already see Blackbeard’s huge body on a stool, with four stools open to his left. I immediately went to the furthest one away, and Nami sat next to me, fuming. We ordered drinks, and she practically downed hers in one go.

“Man! That really pisses me off!” she growled, slamming the empty cup back on the counter. She looked over, noticing I was angled away, and pulled my shoulder to turn me around. “Kia, why aren’t you more angry? That guy was a total sleaze.”

“Which makes him not worth the time thinking about him,” I replied, sipping my own drink. “Guys like that are a dime a dozen, so I forgot him as soon as I could.”

Zoro glanced over and gave me a smirk, then went back to his drinking. The bartender struck up a conversation with Nami, hoping to calm her down, and she began asking questions just as Luffy and Blackbeard each slammed a fist down on the counter and yelled about the cherry pies they were both eating, though Blackbeard found it delicious, and Luffy was less then impressed. 

Having heard what the other said, they glared at each other, then thinking better of it, grabbed their mugs to take a drink, only to slam them down with the same result, though this time Luffy was happy, and Blackbeard was not, so they glared at each other again.

“I’m not the cook here, so I don’t care,” the barkeeper said.

Luffy turned back, pushing the pie out of the way. “Hey pops, I’ll take fifty steaks to go,” he said with a smile.

“And I’ll take fifty-one of those delicious cherry pies to go,” Blackbeard said. Nami looked over at me, unbelieving of the scene in front of her, only to see that I was hiding my face with my hand, acting bored.

_“What are you doing?”_ she asked me quietly. 

_“Nothing,”_ I replied just as quietly. She looked at me like I was crazy, and turned back to watch Luffy.

“Eighty!” Luffy yelled.

“One Hundred!” came the response, and then they were in each others face, yelling, “I’m going to beat the living crap out of you!” 

“Do you even know what you’re fighting about?!” Zoro yelled, and Blackbeard smiled, and I started stewing. I could tell Luffy who he was, and wanting to help his brother, he’d probably try to stop him. But… his whole crew was here with him, and he had his dark-dark fruit powers already. Ace couldn’t beat him, even one on one.

At the same time, I had still been having nightmares about Judith’s death, and it was still painful enough, that I hadn’t been able to even draw her. I just knew she died because of this man beside us, because he felt like it, and it scared me, and pissed me off.

The barkeep stopped their argument, and Blackbeard left before I had the chance to make a decision, my hands were in fists, and I was practically shaking. The others didn’t notice as they had turned back to the bar, and as Blackbeard left, another man walked in. Bellamy.

“I’m looking for a pirate who wears a straw hat,” he called out, and had us all turning to look at him. “You must be Straw Hat Luffy,” he said as he walked towards us.

“Who’s this guy?” Luffy asked.

“Don’t know, but sounds like he has a bone to pick with you,” Zoro replied.

“He must be that Bellamy guy we heard about,” Nami said, and I nodded.

“Yeah, the one who rented out the hotel we were at,” I concluded.

Nami and I glanced around as the crowd in the bar began talking about both Luffy and Bellamy and their bounties.

“Seems the people here put a lot of stock in what a pirate’s bounty is,” I said quietly to her, as I picked up my drink again.

“Yeah, as if that has anything to do with how strong they actually are,” she replied. 

“Well this guy will learn pretty quickly that Luffy and Zoro are no pushovers,” I said.

We turned as a group of people walked into the bar, and both Nami and I rolled our eyes. “Just great, the guys from earlier,” Nami said. That guy Sarquiss cut someone with his huge weapon, because they were too late in offering their seats up. Then he turned to us and licked the blood. Both of us grimaced at the sight.

We turned back to watch as Luffy began drinking, and we both tried to say something, but were too late. Bellamy reared back and pushed Luffy’s face straight through the bar, starting a fight- and his group started laughing hysterically.

The laughter stopped, as Zoro was turned in his seat, a sword at Bellamy’s throat.

“What are you doing, punk?” Bellamy asked.

“That’s the question you should be asking yourself,” Zoro answered, his voice low and menacing.

“Zoro, wait!” Nami said as she stood. “Don’t start anything, because-”

“Quiet!” Zoro said harshly, interrupting her. “If this guy wants a fight, I’ll give him one.”

“Captain?” I asked, as Luffy stood up. “You okay?”

“So this is your backup?” Bellamy laughed. “A guy with a sword and two women?” He laughed again, and all of us grit our teeth, ready to do something if Luffy said the word.

“So,” Luffy finally replied. “Are you ready to take me on?” 

With that, the entire room started laughing, everyone convinced that he had just done the dumbest thing possible in challenging their current big shot. Bellamy laughed as well, as Luffy stood with his fists out, ready.

“You’ve got it all wrong kid, this isn’t a fight, it’s a test. Now come on, let’s see how strong you are.”

At his words, Luffy put his fists down, and Nami, worried about being run out of town, turned to the barkeeper. “Mister, we need any information you can give us on sky island!”

There was a quiet pause all through the room, then everyone burst into laughter again, this time at Nami. She didn’t take it well, her face red, and her hands clenched into fists. I stood in front of her, block her sight from the meanest of the jabs, but it didn’t do much except keep her from running out.

“You got me there kid,” Bellamy said as he sat down, laughing. “I can’t believe you guys are trying to find such a ridiculous legend! Of all the crazy currents in the Grand Line, one of the strangest is the knock up stream.” He looked over at us, “looks like you don’t have any information at all, do you?” 

I stepped to Nami’s side, putting my hand on her shoulder in support, but we both faced Bellamy together, behind Luffy and Zoro.

“Any ship that gets caught in the knock up stream, gets catapulted into the sky and later crashes back into the ocean. Years ago, sailors saw ships falling from the sky, and assumed there was an island up there. HA! Anything that seems supernatural always has a rational explanation. Anything a man can dream will eventually be explained, and let me tell you, the truth will hurt.”

I watched as Luffy’s hands loosened from their fists, the more that Bellamy spoke. As he spoke of pirates not needing dreams, about how the One Piece wasn’t real, Luffy no longer wanted to fight.

I on the other hand, was a different story. The more he spoke, the more angry I got, and when he had finally stopped, and punched Luffy in the face, I stormed over and stood in front of my captain.

“You’re a weak pirate,” Bellamy said as Luffy fell.

“No,” I replied, you’re the weak one.”

“What,” he asked in a low voice.

“Luffy is strong because of his convictions. He knows who he is, and what he wants, and he adjusts based on his experiences. You, however, try to adjust your environment based on your desires. Deciding that things aren’t real, because you haven’t seen them? Imagining yourself strong because the people around you cower? Seeking approval from warlords-”

“Kia, that’s enough,” Luffy said, as he stood up. I stopped my tirade, glad that he said something, as I was about to go off on Bellamy about Doflamingo. I turned and stepped back towards Nami, who was looking at me in shock, but I just stood there, watching, realizing the mood in the room was really angry, and most of it was at me.

“Get lost!” patrons started yelling, throwing their glasses and bottles over at us. Others were egging Bellamy on, asking him to take care of us.

“You make the real pirates, us, look like trash!” Bellamy said with a smirk.

“Give the people what they want, Bellamy!” Sarquiss called. “Tear into them!” 

“Luffy, Zoro, forget the promise, just get these guys already!” Nami yelled.

“Zoro,” Luffy said quietly, and we all listened closely. “Whatever happens, don’t fight back.”

Nami was shocked, and I hung my head. I had just made everything worse, and I hoped that they didn’t get beaten worse because of my tirade. Nami and I stood there, as Luffy and Zoro were beaten with fists, chairs, bottles… anything that was on hand. I reached down and grabbed Luffy’s hat from off the floor, holding it.

“Why are you guys just standing there? You can take these guys, I know it!” Nami yelled. I reached over and grabbed her hand, and she looked at me. “Why, Kia?” she asked me quietly and I just shook my head. We stood quietly then, waiting for the beating to stop.

“It’s no use, sweetheart,” Sarquiss said to Nami. “they’ve obviously realized they’re out of their league. Refusing to fight a stronger opponent is disgraceful, but also smart.”

“The navy is sure generous these days,” someone else said. “Thirty million, for this guy?” 

“So, you’re weak and you have no pride,” Bellamy said. “You refuse to get into a fight, and your head is filled with silly daydreams. They sound like children!” More laughter, from the room. “When I heard there was a thirty million bounty in town, I wondered what kind of bad ass he was. Needless to say, I’m more than a little disappointed.” He filled his cheeks from his bottle, and spit it all over Luffy. “Get them out of my face!”

His men rushed over, one kicking Zoro across the room, the other pulling Luffy into the window. They both lay there, and though I knew they were okay, it was still difficult to see.

Nami and I moved over to check on them, when Sarquiss began speaking.

“Hey, sweet things, you keep hanging out with these losers, you’ll never get anywhere. How about I buy you? You seem like simple girls, you can’t fetch too high a price.”

Nami turned back to glare at him, and I noticed Luffy’s hand in a fist, so I knew he was okay, and, he was letting us handle this.

“Did you just say you wanted to buy me?” Nami demanded. “I’m way too good for you, you’re just a small time thug.” 

“Don’t be too harsh Nami,” I said, as I picked Zoro up, and threw his arm over my shoulder. “Paying for one is obviously the only way he can get a woman to be near him.” I heard a few snickers at that, though they didn’t last long. I knew that was going to make him mad, but I didn’t care, and I headed out the door with Zoro , Nami following, dragging Luffy.

We walked up the dock, Nami furiously gaining distance on us, when Blackbeard spoke. “The sky island does exist.” 

Nami stopped, dropping Luffy to the ground. I helped Zoro stand up, and brushed some things off his back, using him as a shield to block me from view.

“Got something to say?” Nami asked him angrily.

“What are you so upset about? You’re friends won that fight without even throwing a punch!” Luffy stood up then, fixing his hat from where we had stuffed it on his head. “This new era they keep talking about it a load of crap. The day when pirates stop dreaming of treasure? Yeah, right!!”

He laughed loudly, continuing to speak to Luffy, and I grabbed Zoro’s shirt as he tried to step away. He turned to look at me for a moment, and must have seen my fear, because he stayed where he was and let me hide.

“The dreams of pirates will never die, am I right??” he asked, and Luffy stayed quiet, even as townspeople mocked Blackbeard’s comments.

“Let’s go,” Zoro said, as he ushered me away.

“Luffy?” Nami asked. But Luffy stood still, just looking at Blackbeard. 

“Hey kid, I hope you make it to sky island,” he said, and turned to walk away. Luffy turned also, catching up with us, Nami trailing behind him.

“Maybe we should have asked him more questions about sky island, he seemed to know something…” Nami mused. “Who was he?” 

“I don’t know,” Luffy answered. “But it wasn’t _he_.”

“Huh? If it wasn’t he, what is it?” 

“They,” I said, before Zoro could answer. “His crew was watching us too.”

“That’s why you were acting so strangely?” Zoro asked as we walked.

“Where? I didn’t see anyone with him!” Nami said. “Kia? You okay? You’re shaking.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Let’s get back to the Merry,” I answered.


	40. Meeting Cricket & The Knockup Stream

We approached the Merry, silent as we walked, though Nami was fuming. 

“Why are you guys bleeding?” Usopp asked as we approached.

Sanji came running, “Nami? Kia? Oh, no are you ladies okay?”

“Doctor!!” Chopper yelled.

“That’s you,” Usopp said.

“Oh, yeah.”

We climbed aboard and settled down by the bow, and I helped Chopper by cleaning up Zoro’s wounds. None of them were serious though, so he didn’t need any bandages.

“So what happened? It looks like you guys were attacked by wolves or something,” Usopp asked.

“It was pirates,” Luffy answered. “But we’re okay.”

“You might be okay, but I’m not!” Nami yelled as she began shaking her fists. “What’s wrong with you two? When you get provoked, the logical response is to beat them to a bloody pulp! Or better yet, you should have blown up that entire annoying town!”

“So, did you find out anything about sky island?” Chopper asked Luffy.

“Sky…island…” Nami turned to them, her voice low and menacing.

“Nami, knock it off,” I said. “You’re scaring them,” I pointed to Usopp, who was lying on the deck pretending to be dead with ketchup all around him, and Chopper had eaten a rumble ball, changing into the huge ball of fluff that was guard point.

“I don’t care!” she yelled.

“It sounds like I missed all the excitement,” Robin said as she walked up the gangplank. 

“Robin my love!” Sanji yelled out in happiness.

“Hey Robin, where have you been all day?” Luffy asked.

“I went to get some new clothes, and to find information on Skypiea” she answered.

At those words, Nami turned her anger on Robin, and Chopper, so scared, went into jumping point and jumped away from her. Of course, that meant he jumped right over Zoro’s head, and into the water.

“Man overboard!” I yelled, and Zoro jumped over to save him.

“Here Captain,” Robin said, a row of hands forming from Robin to Luffy, passing something hand to hand until they were handing Luffy a map, and she told him about a man who was banished because he spoke of his dreams too much. She headed down to the girls’ room, and I followed after her, wanting to lay down.

 

* * * * *

 

As Robin and I came back on deck, we found that we had arrived at the other side of the island.

We found a home on the edge on the shore, with a large facade of a palace covering it. I followed Sanji over to a table made from a tree stump. I yawned and stretched, having not slept much yet, and as Nami found the story of Noland the Liar, and began to read it to everyone, I relaxed in the grass.

Luffy went exploring, finding no one home, and Zoro sat down nearby me. Robin continued to look around, and we heard a yell as Luffy fell in the water. 

“Who the hell are you? You’ve got nerve relaxing at someone’s home without permission! I suggest you leave!” A man climbed out of the water and back onto shore, crouching into a fighting stance.

Sanji ran over, shouting at Usopp to get Luffy, and he squared off against the man.

“I know why you’re here… you must be after my gold!!” the man shouted, as Sanji came up to him. He gave a few kicks that Sanji easily dodged, and blocked Sanji’s kick in return.

“Wait!” I called, “We’re not here to steal anything, we just wanted to talk to you!”

The man pulled out a revolver, and began shooting at Sanji, who dodged, and Zoro came running over to help. But before he could get there, the man dropped the gun, and fell over, clutching at his chest.

Usopp helped Luffy out of the water, as Chopper and I ran over and directed the guys to carry the man into the house.

“I need more cold towels,” Chopper said, and Sanji jumped up to help.

“And open that window there,” I directed Luffy, who did as I asked.

“Do you know what’s wrong?” Nami asked.

“The bends,” Chopper said.

“What’s that?” Zoro asked.

“Basically, it is something that affects divers, when they surface too quickly.” I said.

“Yes,” Chopper agreed. “when surfacing, the nitrogen in the blood releases. If done too quickly, it causes gas bubbles to form in the circulatory system. When those bubbles expand, they can cause serious damage to muscles and joints, and decrease blood flow.”

“So a mystery disease then,” Luffy said. “Can you guys help him?” 

“Probably,” Chopper answered, as I said, “yes.”

We looked at each other, and I smiled. “He’d have to not dive for a little while, and give his body a chance to recover. And even then, he should take greater care when diving, if he continues to dive at all.”

“That’s true,” Chopper agreed. “He passed out during the fight, but he could have died, so he’ll probably be all right.”

Suddenly the doorway was filled with Masira and Shoujou, the two large monkeys that the crew ran into before. 

“Hey, what are you doing?” they yelled at us.

Usopp and Chopper screamed and started running around the room, while Luffy just looked over at them seriously. “We’re trying to help him. So if you’re not going to help, then go bother someone else.”

They stared at Luffy, and started crying. “Thank you!!” they cried through their tears.

We sent everyone else outside, so it was just Chopper, myself, and Cricket in the house. “It’s a lot quieter now,” I said with a smile.

“Yeah, now he can rest,” Chopper added. 

It didn’t take long however, before Cricket awoke. The first thing he did was light a cigarette. “You know you’d have better lung capacity while diving if you didn’t smoke,” I told him, and he smiled.

Chopper called to Luffy, and he and Zoro entered the house. “Hey chestnut head, I need to ask you something,” Luffy began, but Cricket interrupted.

“I’m sorry I attacked you,” he said. “I thought you had come to steal my gold. What did you want to ask?” 

“We’re searching for sky island, and we were told you were the one to ask.”

Cricket started laughing, and Nami tried to hit him, but Usopp held her back. “You actually believe that place exists?” Cricket asked.

“You mean there isn’t one? Are you sure?” Luffy asked.

“Hmm… I’m _not_ sure," Cricket said, calming down again. "No one is certain if it exists or not. You see, the only man who claimed to see it, was known as a liar of epic proportions.”

Luffy turned to gape at Usopp, and he yelled, “What are you looking at?!” 

Cricket then explained to us about Noland, how the story we had read was not the whole story, and told us of how he had left home, to become someone different than his family name had made him. How he had somehow come to be on Jaya, and felt that he was destined to come here, and facing the fear that he had his entire life.

He told us how he didn’t care if he found the city of gold, or whether Noland was honest or not.

“Are you done telling us your life story? All I care about is sky island!” Luffy shouted.

Cricket smirked, and handed Nami a log book, and she started reading from it, telling us about Noland finding a waver, and about a skyfish, which had Sanji perking up.

Luffy had a grin on his face, and asked, “do you know what this means?” 

“Sky island is real!!” Usopp and Chopper shouted. Cricket walked out of the house, as everyone became more and more excited, dancing and yelling and making plans. And then, Luffy shouted something to Sanji about having a party.

“And that’s how we ended up sitting here,” I explained to Robin later, who was seated next to me, and had asked why we were having a party.

“I see,” she said with a smile. “It may be your last chance to get any sleep before we leave in the morning,” she told me.

“You can use the bed inside,” Cricket offered. I couldn’t tell if he was blushing, or just red from the alcohol he was drinking, but sleeping on a bed sounded much better than outside, so I stood up and walked into the house like a zombie. I had been up for almost two days now, with a few small naps in between, and I couldn’t even remember my head hitting the pillow before I was fast asleep.

 

* * * * *

 

Hearing a loud crashing noise, I was startled awake, wondering where I was, and what was happening. The first sensation was that the boat’s rocking was pretty harsh, but as my eyes focused, I gasped. I was being carried, over someone’s shoulder, and I didn’t recognize who it was.

Looking up, I saw that Cricket, Masira, and Shoujou were sitting on the ground, looking at me in shock and anger. Before I could say anything, I was dropped to the ground next to a bag. I looked up, annoyed at being dropped so roughly, but stopped to gape as I recognized Bellamy and Sarquiss.

Bellamy looked at Sarquiss, “Well?” he asked.

“Booty, both kinds,” Sarquiss answered, and laughed hysterically at his own joke.

“Seems she still doesn’t think much of you,” Bellamy said with a grin, as he looked at me. He reached down, and I flinched, but he grabbed the sack next to me instead, but I could see by his smile that he enjoyed scaring me.

He pulled out a small statue of a south bird, made entirely of gold, and I gasped. “Look at that…” Bellamy said. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s not yours!” I said hotly.

“Oh no?” he asked. “You should know, that’s what pirates do.”

“Ha!” Cricket said, and we turned to look at him. My face fell as I took in his bleeding face, and beaten body. “You’re not worthy to touch that,” he said.

“Worthy?” Sarquiss said in a menacing voice. He ran forward, brandishing his large scythe, and bringing it over his head to slash at Cricket. “How about now?!”

At the last moment, Masira stood over Cricket, taking the blow for him, which cut deeply into his back, and he fell over. 

“Masira!” Cricket yelled.

“Ha ha ha!” Sarquiss laughed snidely. “Seems we’re stronger than you are, which makes us worthy to take anything from you.”

“Stand back boss!” Shoujou jumped up and inhaled a great breath in order to use his sonar voice against them, and I quickly covered my ears.

“No, Shoujou, Kiana’s in the way!” Cricket yelled, his arm reached out.

Shoujou deflated, the breath whooshing from his lungs as he looked over at me. Then, in the next moment, he was hit directly in the stomach, by Bellamy, and sent flying into the water.

“No!!” Cricket and I yelled together. I stood up, wanting to run over to the water, but was stopped by Sarquiss, so I struggled with him, until he pushed me down.

“Let’s go,”Bellamy said as he came back to his group. The men all came back to his side, as they had been trashing Cricket’s home, and the Merry. One man who had graffitied Bellamy’s pirate mark on the side of the house threw the paint can into the water. “Load up the gold,” Bellamy called and they all started walking down to the ship. 

I struggled as best as I could, but Sarquiss picked me up again. I was hitting and kicking him, to no avail, and I started yelling as loudly as I could, until he threatened to cut off something if I didn’t stop. Of course, then I stopped struggling. Besides, Luffy would come after Bellamy anyway. I could handle being with them for a little while, and totally enjoy watching Luffy slaughter them.

“Grow up old man!” Bellamy called out as the others boarded their ship. “The city of gold is a fantasy! If you want to remain a pirate in this new age, you’d best realize that dreams _never come true!"_

The crew laughed, and I looked around at the destruction they caused, feeling pity for Cricket, and yet so much anger.

Cricket stood, calling out to Bellamy. “Hold on there, pup.” Bellamy looked back over his shoulder, but didn’t turn around. “A spineless whelp who beats people’s dreams out of them, has no business calling himself a pirate,” Cricket said angrily. “Let the girl go,” he said as a threat, and Bellamy’s grin widened.

“Seems like you didn’t learn well enough the first time,” he said, throwing off his coat, and heading towards Cricket.

“No!” I yelled, not caring what Sarquiss did. “Leave him alone!” I was put down on the ground, and a gloved hand covered my mouth, as I was faced toward the fight and forced to watch as Cricket was beaten until he was unconscious.

 

* * * * * 

 

“It’s too quiet,” Usopp said. The others glanced at him, then around them. They were almost back to Cricket’s house. “Shouldn’t we be hearing them working on the Merry?” he asked.

“I smell blood!” Chopper yelled as he turned into his reindeer form and galloped ahead, everyone running behind him. 

What they found shocked them all. The house was halfway torn down, the Merry had pieces missing from her, and the monkeys…

“Diamond-head guy!” Luffy shouted, running over to the prone figure.

“Masira! Shoujou!” the others yelled out as they saw the state of their new friends.

“Hey, help me!” Sanji called, as he started pulling Shoujou from the water. 

“Right!” Chopper answered, turning into heavy point to assist. 

“Who did this to them?” Usopp asked as he looked around. His eyes landed on the Merry, and he screamed, “Who would do _any of this?!"_

“Sorry…”

The voice was very weak, and Robin and Luffy helped Cricket to sit up. “Hey, are you okay?” Luffy asked.

“I’m so sorry…” he said slowly, having a hard time speaking. “We tried… to … stop them.”

“Easy mister,” Luffy said. “Just tell us what happened here.”

“Joh!” The south bird in Zoro’s hand called loudly, and Cricket looked up.

“You got one… good,” he said, holding his head in his hand. “I’m so sorry!” he cried to Luffy, who looked confused.

“THE GOLD!!” Nami yelled, interrupting them. “IT’S GONE!”

Everyone looked to Nami, then back to Cricket, who was very upset. “Yes, it’s gone,” he said. “But that doesn’t matter! You have-”

“How can you say that?!” Usopp yelled. “You dove for ten years to find that gold! You almost killed yourself for it!!”

“Shut up!” Cricket yelled back, and the others stopped, looking at him in surprise. “I told you, it doesn’t matter!” He stopped there, as he was racked with a coughing fit.

Zoro stepped away, continuing to search through the wreckage around him. He moved aside a board, noticing the dripping paint at the bottom. When he saw what was under it, he flung the board away.

“Your friend…” Cricket finally managed to choke out.

“Yeah, where is Kia?” Chopper asked. “Can you wake her up, Nami? I could use her help with them,” he said, pointing to where Masira and Shoujou were laid.

“She’s gone!” Cricket yelled. “Taken!!”

“WHAAAATT?!?!?” Most of the crew yelled in response.

“Where? Who? Why? How?” the questions from each flowed on top of each other, and Cricket didn’t know where to start.

“I’m sorry! I tried to stop them,” he said again to Luffy dejectedly.

“Luffy,” Zoro called, and pointed to the painted mark on the wall of the house.

“That’s Bellamy’s mark!” Nami said.

“I’ll help,” Zoro offered, just as Sanji said, “I’m going!” but Luffy shook his head. 

“I can do this alone,” he said.

“Luffy,” Nami said, getting his attention. “I don’t see how we can do this. We have to sail in three hours if we want to make it to sky island,” she said sadly. “We can’t leave without Kia.”

Luffy turned to Robin, “If I follow the coast, I’ll make it back to the town?” he asked her, and she nodded. He turned back to Zoro and Sanji, “Get everything ready, I’ll be back in time,” he said, and they nodded as well.

“Don’t go alone!” Cricket yelled. “You don’t know what you’re getting in to!” 

Luffy turned back to the group. “I’ll be back by sunrise,” he said, and took off running.

 

* * * * *

 

I fell into the tavern as Sarquiss pushed me forward, tripping on the steps and banging my knee, then falling forward through the doors, scraping my arms as I fell forward. I lay there, hurt and upset, but was picked up and basically dropped into a chair.

“Cheer up sweetheart,” Sarquiss says as he plops into a chair across from me, the other members of the crew joining him. “We saved you from a weak crew, you should be thanking us.”

“Thanks so much for kidnapping me, and forcing me to watch your pathetic grasp for power on this tiny nowhere island,” I said in monotone. Most of the crew bristled at that, but Bellamy just laughed, and went to the bar to get a drink.

“We’ll break you of that spirit soon enough,” Sarquiss hissed at me, and I rolled my eyes and moved to the next table, away from him. Using the elastic band I always keep on my wrist when my hair is down, I braided my hair and tied it off, giving myself a pep talk to keep from freaking out.

I remained quiet for some time, and decided to try another escape attempt. I had had two unsuccessful attempts thus far, once when I tried to jump in the water while the ship was leaving Cricket’s, and the other as we docked here in Mock town. Both times, Bellamy was the only reason I hadn’t gotten away. I didn’t think he had haki, so he must have been watching, waiting for me to try.

I looked around slowly, trying not to move my head, so as not bring attention to myself. Everyone was laughing and celebrating, and I stewed inside. I noticed that Bellamy’s back was to me, and the others were looking away, so when a group of villagers entered, causing a ruckus, I took the chance to slip outside.

I hid just outside the door, listening for any indication that I was made, and hearing nothing, I grinned, and went to move to the steps. The swinging door was blasted open, catching me in the back, and sending me falling from the porch onto the wooden planks of the boardwalk around us.

I groaned as I pushed myself up, noting the newest scrapes and splinters added in my arms and legs. It also hurt to put my weight on my ankle, and as I was grabbed and hauled back inside, I limped along.

I was thrown back into my chair, as Bellamy growled at Sarquiss. “You took her, so keep an eye on her!” he said harshly, heading back to the bar. Sarquiss scowled at me, and stood up, stalking over to where I was sitting, he reared back and backhanded me across the face.

“Learn your place!” he yelled at me, rearing back to strike again.

“Sarquiss, that’s not how you do it,” one of the women said. I glared at her, furious that these women would actually enjoy being part of this crew.

“It’s more like this!” she said as she pushed me, causing the chair to tip over, and I hit the floor again, hard.

I knew anything I did would just make things worse, so I stood up, and reached down to pull up my chair. The other woman stretched out, shoving with her foot, sending me sprawling once more, and the entire place laughed.

Bellamy laughed as he walked back over. He pulled up my chair, and sat on it, looking down at me on the floor. I was disgusted, for I was certain I had landed on some type of liquid, though I was hoping it was just alcohol.

“So then, what are you going to add to our crew?” he asked me. “Everyone helps, or else,” he threatened.

“Not joining your crew,” I grit out. “Eventually, I’ll get back to mine.”

“Why would you loyally follow such a weakling?” he asked, genuinely surprised.

“Why would you loyally follow a psychopath?” I retorted, and his brow went up. “Yes, I recognized your mark,” I added.

“Ha!” he crowed. “Then you know what a great man he is-”

“I know how deranged he is,” I interrupted. “He doesn’t care for anyone, not even those who work for him. When he finds out my captain beat you-”

“Beat me?” he interrupted me, laughing, and the rest of the room followed suit.

“That’s right,” I said with a nod. “Since I haven’t been able to get away, he’ll just come get me.”

“What makes you so sure?” he asked, mocking me.

“He’s my captain, he’d never leave one of his crew behind. And… he’s my brother,” I answered, looking up in his eyes. “he’s much stronger than you know.”

“BAD NEWS!!” A man yelled as he ran into the bar. “THOSE GUYS FROM EARLIER--” He looked shocked as he saw Sarquiss, and gasped as he saw Bellamy. “Bellamy? You’re still here? You gotta hide, quick! THEY’LL KILL YOU!” he panted, as he yelled.

Bellamy glanced over to the man, asking “Who’s going to kill me? What are you talking about?”

I smirked as the man looked like he was going to wet himself, in the face of Bellamy’s anger. He held out his hand, showing two wanted posters for the entire room to see, and the room went as silent as a grave.

“Oh!” I said with a smile. “Zoro will be so happy that he finally got a wanted poster! Though, it’s not a great picture,” I added.

The people in the room started murmuring to each other, afraid of what would happen to them, since they had treated Luffy and Zoro so badly. 

“Ah, don’t worry, Luffy won’t hold it against you,” I said loudly, though that seemed to make them all more agitated instead of less, though I really didn’t care. Perhaps they thought I was threatening them, but I just couldn’t get my smirk off my face.

Bellamy started laughing, just like the hyena he was named for. “You fools!” he yelled to everyone in the room. “You saw them with your own eyes, and now you want to run scared?!” He laughed at them all, and they started looking uncertain. “Weak pirates like these will do anything to look tough, even print fake wanted posters,” he explained. “Idiots like you take one look and back down, without a fight, just like they hoped.”

“Dream on Bellamy,” I said loudly, as I stood up. “You’re just telling yourself that because you’re scared!”

Bellamy kicked out, hitting me in the stomach, which flung me into a table, crashing into several men and their glasses of booze. I was pretty sure something nicked me, but I sat up anyway. “He’s coming!” I tried to yell, but it came out quietly. 

The men around me heard what I said, and looked nervously at the door, but the rest of the room seemed to take Bellamy’s explanation to heart, giving each other explanations of why Luffy couldn’t possibly be worth 100 million beri. “Pirates worth that much do horrible things, so why haven’t they been in the newspaper?” one man said to his friend.

“I ain’t never heard of a straw hat gang,” another said.

“It’s gotta be fake,” someone else yelled.

“Curse them for tricking us!” and other shouts continued to ring out.

“BELLAMY!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU?????”

The shout from outside overpowered all the chatter inside the bar, and several people spit out whatever they had been drinking, including Sarquiss, which make me smirk. “Can you help me outside?” I asked the men who were still sitting in their chairs around me, even though the table was smashed under me. A couple of them nodded, looking scared. “Really, he won’t hurt anyone but Bellamy or his gang,” I said softly, and that seemed to help.

Bellamy stood and strode to the door, looking back to smirk at his crew. They took this as a good sign, and stood up to follow. Sarquiss stopped to pull me from the men helping me and shepherded me out the door as well. I looked around the moonlit dock, and followed the gazes of the others up to the roof of a nearby building, where Luffy stood.

“Well well,” Bellamy said. “We were just talking about you. You got business with me?” 

“Yeah,” Luffy replied, his huge grin gone and eyes narrowed as they met mine. “Give me my sister and the old guy’s gold back.”

Bellamy smirked. “Gold?” he asked, as he crouched down, using his devil fruit powers to turn his legs into springs. He shot himself up, over Luffy’s head and landed on the room opposite him. “You mean old man Cricket’s? Why would I return either? Both were taken as pirate loot. Sure you’re a pirate too, but you’re in no position to make demands.”

“Sure I am,” Luffy answered calmly. “They’re my friends, and she’s my crew… and I’m taking them back!”

Bellamy started laughing hysterically. “Can you even fight?! Do you even know how to throw a punch?!” He continued to laugh, and the group around me muttered again. Some tried to laugh and smile with Bellamy, especially though closest to us, but since Bellamy’s crew was all around me, I thought that was more likely to avoid getting beaten, rather than actual faith in Bellamy.

“There’s no mistake, that’s him,” a voice said quietly, and several of us turned to see the man with the wanted posters, looking from Luffy to his poster and back again.  
“Why are you hanging on to that piece of trash?” Sarquiss growled at the man. “Tear it up and throw it away!”

“But… but what if it’s real?” the man asked. “If he really is worth 100 million… then Bellamy….”

“Ridiculous!” Sarquiss stated firmly, as he watched Bellamy. “Look at him. Does that kid look dangerous to you? Thirty million was obviously a faked amount as well.”

I looked over to the man, and smirked. “It’s real all right,” I said loudly.

“If you fight like you did earlier today, you won’t be taking anything from me,” Bellamy said snidely to Luffy. “Coward!”

“That was different,” Luffy stated.

“Oh? So you’ve changed? Ha!” Bellamy smirked, and crouched low. He sprung up in the air, and crashed back into the roof they were standing on, causing the top of the tower to crack and separate, falling down. “You won’t live to forget what I’m about to teach you!” he shouted.

He landed on the side of another tower, using his leg springs to catapult himself at Luffy. “Spring Snipe!!” He yelled as he came barreling towards him, hitting the building, as Luffy dodged, but it sent him crashing to the ground. Luffy was standing as the dust cleared, and I couldn’t tell if he had landed on his feet, or simply gotten back up.

“Spring Hopper!!” Bellamy yelled, and started bouncing back and forth between buildings and the ground so fast, that I could only see a blur. “Their friend? HA! It makes sense! You believe the 400 year old lies of his fool ancestor. What city of gold?!” Bellamy shouted, making it sound as if his voice was all around us. “What sky island?!! The age of dreaming is over!”

“So, you wanna see me land a punch?” Luffy asked, as he raised his fist, cracking his knuckles in preparation.

Next to me, Sarquiss and the rest of Bellamy’s crew began laughing again, and shouting to him. “Get him Bellamy! Fools doesn’t deserve to live in the real world!!”

“You’ve got him Luffy,” I said unable to tear my eyes away from where Luffy stood. 

“SO LONG… STRAW HAT!!!!” Bellamy crowed loudly as he headed straight for Luffy. It was all over in a second, a huge crashing sound that silenced the entire area.  
Everyone stared, and in the silence we could hear the sound of blood dripping from Luffy’s fist down onto the boardwalk. Everyone looked scared, except for me, I was grinning.

Sarquiss pushed me aside as he stepped forward. “Huh?!” he asked. “Bellamy this isn’t the time for joking! Hey! Don’t kid around! Say something!!”

Bellamy didn’t move, as he was out on the ground at Luffy’s feet. His crew started to worry, and I looked up at Sarquiss with a smirk. He glanced down at me, getting even more angry and desperate. 

“C’mon Bellamy, quite fooling around! Get up and do your thing!” When nothing happened, he shouted even louder, “BELLAMY!! You can’t be down! You’re a heavyweight with a 55 million beri bounty on your head!!!”

I grabbed the wanted poster from the man next to me, and shoved it into Sarquiss’ face. “That’s nothing to 100 million,” I said, and he grabbed my arm, trying to look tough, but his fear was palpable. “Just wait until your boss hears about this,” I said cruelly.

“I want my sister, and the old man’s gold!” Luffy said firmly. “Give it! Now!!”

That was all it took for the entire group to run, except for Sarquiss. He held onto my arm as if I was a barrier that could block him from evil. Luffy walked towards us, and I could feel Sarquiss trembling. Two of Bellamy’s men came running back outside from the bar, handing over the bag of gold, and standing behind Sarquiss.

Luffy stopped in front of us, looking at me, up and down. Sarquiss chose that moment to be brave, as his anger took over. “That brat just got lucky!” he said under his breath, and that seemed to convince him that he could speak to Luffy. “Bellamy isn’t the only one you have to deal with!” he yelled. “I’m still here, and no starry eyed fool is going to beat the both of us!”

Luffy adjusted the bag over his shoulder, holding out his hand for mine, completely ignoring Sarquiss. I stepped forward, limping on my bad ankle and hissing at the pain of moving. 

“Straw Hat!!” Sarquiss yelled, even as the others tried to hold him back and shut him up. “Where do you think you’re going?! We’re not done!”

“Where?” Luffy asked, looking over at him finally, and Sarquiss stumbled back in fear. “The sky.” Luffy pointed up. He reared back, and sent a kick at Sarquiss, causing him to fall, and he didn’t even move once on the ground. He could have been knocked out, or he could have been pretending, but I didn’t care enough to check. “That’s for hurting my sister,” Luffy said, as he helped me walk away.

“Are you okay?” he asked me, worried.

“Yeah, I will be,” I answered. “I’ll need to let Chopper check me over.” 

“We don’t have time to walk,” Luffy said as he pulled us to a stop once we were a ways away from the other people. Can you carry this?” He asked, hanging me the bag of gold. I nodded, taking it and tying it around my shoulders like a strange backpack. He then turned his back to me, and said, “Hop on, we’ll have to run to make it in time.”

 

* * * * *

 

Luffy wanted to ask what the men had done to her, but Kia didn’t want to talk, he could tell. Once she climbed on his back, he started running back the way he came, looking up at the way the sky was getting lighter, and thinking he may not make it as he planned.

He even saw an hercules beetle, and stopped to catch it, but then he felt rain. He looked back up at the sky, noticing there were no rain clouds. Oh, and the rain was only hitting his neck…

It took a bit, but once he realized Kia was crying on him, he was at a loss. Should he stop? Was he hurting her? She looked like she had been beaten up, and she was probably hurting. He’d better get her to Chopper, really fast. Chopper could help her feel better. He went back to running, picked up his speed, running as fast as he could, and forgetting all about the beetle.

After running for a long time, he finally saw the ship, which gave him the energy boost to keep going faster. He could hear the crew, excited to see him, but he didn’t waste a second. “Chopper!!” He yelled, which brought Chopper running, and had the rest of the crew stopping in their tracks.

He watched in confusion, as Kia stood, acting as if she wasn’t hurt badly. She handed Usopp the bag, and calmed Sanji down, telling him that she was fine, and Luffy had beaten up the guys who took her. The old man came forward also, apologizing to her, and she just smiled and said, “no problem!”

His attention was grabbed as the others started running around to get to their ships, so that he could get to sky island, but he looked back in concern, to see Zoro pick her up for Chopper and take her to the ship, Sanji behind him yelling something. He grinned, knowing his crew was taking care of each other, and gave the old man a slap on the back.

“Thanks for fixing up our ship!” He told him with a grin. 

“Thank them,” he said, still looking at the bag that had been placed in front of him, and pointing behind him to Masira and Shoujou’s crews.

“Everybody aboard! We’re running out of time!” They yelled at Luffy from their ships, and he ran for the Merry, stretching his arms to grab on and climb aboard.

“Hey Boy!” he heard, and turned back to the old man. “People may laugh and call them silly legends, but let them laugh! No one has ever proved that the golden city or sky island _doesn't_ exist! That's what makes it a great adventure!!"

“Right!” Luffy called back. “Shi shi shi!” 

“Thanks… for retrieving my gold! Don’t fall out of the sky now!”

Everyone joined him in calling goodbye to the old man, even Kia, though she looked really pale.

 

* * * * *

 

I stood at the railing, ignoring the requests of the others to go lie down. All that would happen was I’d get thrown out of bed, and that was pointless. 

“Chopper?” I asked, and he stopped complaining about my standing up in order to answer.

“Yes, Kia?” 

“I promise, I’ll go lay down once we see the knock up stream, okay? I don’t want to miss it.”

“Okay, I guess that would be all right, but I want to wrap your ankle first, so sit down.”

I did as he asked, and called out to Sanji.

“Yes Kia, my dear?” he asked, and I smiled at getting his charm directed at me again. “Anything you need, I will be delighted to get for you!”

“I need some rope please,” I asked, and he excitedly turned to get it, coming back with a length of rope for me, but confused now that he thought about what I asked for.

“Why the rope Kia?” he asked.

“Well, if the knock up stream lifts us into the sky, I’m not sure if the boat will just be lifted, or what. I think I might need to tie myself to the railing in order to hold on.” 

“That’s smart,” Nami said, as she walked forward. She yelled to the guys to secure everything down with ropes, and they jumped to do it.

There wasn’t much chance to talk after that, as the sky grew dark, and the waves grew. The crew ran around, following orders as best as they could, and Nami freaked out as she realized how the knock up stream built its energy. We were towed to the side of a giant whirlpool, but before we were sucked down to our deaths, the water calmed.

“Hey it stopped!” Usopp called.

“Huh?!” Sanji shouted from the other end of the ship. “It’s gone? How?!”

“No!!” Nami called, her eyes wide with fright. “It’s only just begun! It’s building!”

“HOLD IT!!” A voice shouted, and we all turned.

A laugh sounded that would probably haunt my dreams, and I looked out at the huge raft that was following us, seeing Blackbeard and his crew paddling towards us.

“They’re from Mocktown!” Nami said. 

“Who are they?” Sanji asked.

“Hey Zoro,” Luffy called, “Look!”

Zoro looked over, seeing who it was, and turned to Kia, who looked white.

“GIVE UP, STRAW HAT LUFFY! WE’RE GONNA TAKE THAT HUNDRED MILLION BERI HEAD OF YOURS!!” 

“Did he just say my head is worth a hundred million beri?” Luffy asked.

“Yes,” I answered. “The new posters came out this morning. And Zoro is worth sixty million,” I said loud enough for everyone to hear. “It went up after the Alabasta incident.”  
I smiled slightly, as I watched Luffy and Zoro celebrate, and Sanji pouting and insisting that Usopp keep looking through his binoculars to see his wanted poster.

Masira and Shoujou began yelling at us, and we all steadied ourselves as the ship began rocking. Nami looked over the side, and began yelling as well. “EVERYONE GRAB ONTO SOMETHING SECURE, OR GO BELOW!!” she bellowed, “THE SEA’S GONNA BLOW!!”

I knelt down, tying the rope around my middle, and securing it to the stair railing. The water shot up, and everyone screamed, though some were in excitement, and some were scared witless. I’d put myself in between those two, but mostly I was scared, seeing a huge plume of water that gave no sign of calming.

“This is impossible!” I heard Nami shout. “The ship is sailing vertically up the surface of the current!” 

“Wait a minute!” Sanji yelled. “We’re floating! If we tip back, we’ll fall back down!”

“What? That can’t happen!” Luffy yelled. “Nami! What can we do?!”

Chopper screamed as a huge sea king fell over the ship back towards the ocean surface. “See?!” Sanji yelled. “It’s only a matter of time before we end up like that!”

“It’s a little late to worry about that!” Zoro yelled.

“We’re still being propelled upward by the force of the explosion,” Robin added. “There’s nothing we can do now.”

“Why did we do this?!!” Usopp and Chopper yelled.

“HOIST THE SAIL!! NOW!!!!” Nami yelled, causing everyone to look over at her. “This isn’t just a wall of water, it’s an ocean current, and we can sail on it!” She turned and gave us all a smile. “If we’re up against the ocean and wind, we can navigate it! And who is this ship’s navigator?!”

“YOU ARE NAMI!!” The boys yelled back, and Luffy cheered.

The sails billowed open as they unfurled them, catching the rising air, and lifting the ship even faster than the water had. It was a completely amazing experience, even for someone that had flown before. This was different than an airplane, feeling the warm wind all around me, I wanted to just close my eyes and revel in it, but I couldn’t.

“It’s incredible!!” Luffy shouted. “We’re flying!!” 

Everyone joined in, shouts of amazement, of awe, of love for Nami… you name it. 

“How far, Nami?” Luffy asked.

“If there really is a sky island, it’s above those clouds!” she replied, pointing up above us, right where we were heading.

“Then let’s go!!” Luffy shouted.

“YEAH!!” we all responded.


	41. Sky Island

“Is everyone all right?” I heard Zoro ask. I stood up slowly, unable to move very far since I was still tied to the railing. 

“Look!” Luffy yelled excitedly. “It’s all white!”

“We’re completely surrounded by clouds, but I don’t see an island,” Sanji spoke up as he peered out of the boat.

Chopper came over, helping me untie the rope from around my waist. 

“How is this happening?” Nami asked, still shocked. “Why aren’t we falling?”

Luffy gave her a look of disbelief. “Clouds float, boats float. It’s the same thing.”

“No it’s not!” everyone yelled in sync.

“Uh, no captain, that’s not right,” I added. Luffy looked at me in question, and then shrugged. 

“So it’s a mystery cloud. But where’s Sky Island?” he asked. 

“Hmm…” I mused, looking out at the ocean of white. I blinked furiously, trying to keep my drooping eyelids open.

“Bed Kia,” Chopper said, steering me towards the stairs. He changed into his heavy point, helping me down the stairs so I wouldn’t fall.

“But…” I replied. “the island, Chopper…” 

“Don’t worry Kia,” Luffy said as he turned to wave at me. “I’ll wake you up as soon as we find Skypiea!”

I glanced back, then up at Chopper in question. He gave me a nod, so I smiled back at Luffy. “Okay, but don’t forget?” I asked.

“Of course!” he said with a laugh. “No one is staying back with the ship this time!” 

“I’ll fix you a nutritious lunch to help you feel better after you nap, Kia my sweet!” Sanji said with a smile, as Chopper led me towards the door to the bedrooms.

“Moron,” Zoro muttered.

“Hey! I’m alive!!” Usopp shouted as he stood up suddenly. I turned back at the noise, but Chopper kept leading me forwards.

“Come on Kia, I’ll help you get settled. Do you need any pain killers?” he asked me.

“Honestly, I’ll fall asleep once my head hits the pillow,” I answered, already having a hard time keeping on my feet.

“I’ve got you,” I heard, and that was the last thing I remembered.

 

* * * * *

 

Robin wasn’t sure if she should laugh or roll her eyes. As soon as Kiana was out of sight, the chef turned to the swordsman with a sneer, asking, “Did I hear you call me a moron?!”

“I don’t know. Did ya?” the swordsman replied.

Wanting to break up the argument, as well as get things moving, she turned to the navigator. “Miss navigator, what does the log pose say?” she asked.

Nami gasped as she looked at her wrist. “It’s still pointing up.”

“Hmm, then we must need to go even higher. Perhaps this is some sort of middle level of the cloud.”

“How can we go higher?” Nami asked.

“I’m not sure,” Robin replied. “We know next to nothing about this ocean.”

“Leave it to Captain Usopp!” Usopp shouted, standing up on the railing and giving a manly pose. “I’ll go for a quick swim!” 

“Yeah! Do it!” Luffy cheered as Usopp turned and dove into the white clouds.

The crew was quiet as they peered over the side of the boat, waiting. After a couple of minutes, Sanji cleared his throat. “Uh, he’s not coming back up,” he said.

“I’m wondering,” Robin added as a thought occurred to her. “Does this ocean even have a bottom? Could he have just fallen through?” 

“OH NO!!” Chopper shouted. 

“USOPP!!” Luffy shouted as he reared his arm back, and shot it forward where he had last seen his friend.

“Stretch as far as you can,” Robin said, as she stood up straight, and crossed her arms in front of her.

“But I can’t see where to reach for him!” Luffy said.

“Leave that to me,” Robin smirked, closing her eyes. “Ojos Fleur.”

Everyone looked between Luffy’s straining face and Robin’s calm veneer, wondering what was happening. 

“There he is,” Robin said, which had everyone pleasantly surprised. “”Seis Fleurs!” She called, and after a moment opened her eyes, and turned to Luffy. “Okay, pull him up.”

Luffy nodded, and started retracting his arm, but finding it much harder than it should have been. “It’s heavy!” he complained.

“There shouldn’t be any resistance,” Nami said, concerned, looking closer. She and Chopper cheered as Usopp’s body came out of the clouds and back to the ship, but quickly changed to screams as a huge strange looking creature with even bigger teeth followed him. 

Robin’s eyebrow raised as an even larger octopus followed behind the fish. Before she could comment, the chef and swordsman were racing towards the newest threats, slashing and kicking at once.

“What strange creatures,” she commented as the boys stood panting form their attacks. 

“This doesn’t even seem like a fish at all,”Sanji said, checking over the flat creature he had kicked. 

“That octopus was like a balloon,” Zoro added. 

“GAAAH!!!” Usopp sat up, rolling around.

“What’s wrong now?!” Sanji yelled.

“There’s something… in my pants!” he yelled back, pulling out a wriggling fish from inside his pants, and curling up on deck, chanting, “sky island is scary… sky island is scary…”

Robin smiled as she picked up the strange looking fish. It was wide and flat, with sharp teeth and feather like scales. “This must be a sky fish, like the ones we read about in Noland’s log book. It seems they have evolved differently from their aquatic cousins in order to survive up here,” she said.

“So they’re flat, or balloon- like?” Zoro asked. 

“Their bodies are airfoils. After all, the clouds would be far less buoyant than water,” she explained.

She turned to see what happened to the fish after she passed it off to the navigator, only to find the captain with a plate of freshly cooked fish. 

“It’s great!!” he said as he took several bites. Robin chuckled as the navigator pulled the plate away from him, yelling, and the chef added, “I sauteed it.”

Despite herself, the navigator tried some as well. “MMM! It IS good! I’ve never tasted anything like it before!”

“Well, I aim to please,” Sanji said with a bow.

“Let’s cook the big one too!” Luffy said, pointing to the large fish still attached to the ship by its teeth. 

“Forget it,” Sanji answered with a roll of his eyes. “I don’t aim to please that much.”

Robin chuckled at the absurdity of the whole situation, heading back towards the upper deck. 

Behind her, Chopper looked out of the pair of binoculars he grabbed. “Where’s the sky island?” he asked himself. He stopped as he saw something sailing. “Hey guys, it’s a ship!” he called. “Huh?” he muttered, unsure if he was seeing things. “…a person?” 

The crew turned at Chopper’s scream, seeing him shaking. “What, did you see a ship, Chopper?” Luffy asked.

“Yes, th-there was a ship, but… now it’s gone!”

“Where did it go?” 

“There’s a bull! It’s running on the clouds, and now it’s headed straight for us!!” Chopper yelled.

“Uh… you’re not making sense,” Zoro said.

“Yeah, what’s gotten into you?” Sanji asked.

“He’s right! Something’s coming!” Usopp yelled from atop the crow’s nest. “He’s running on the clouds!”

They turned toward the man as he came close, and Sanji yelled, “Stop! What do you want?!”

“To destroy you!” the man in the mask answered, jumping in the air. Luffy, Zoro and Sanji all rushed forward to stop him, but he took each of them out in succession with a single hit each. Pushing off the railing, he soared upwards, turning and aiming his bazooka at the ship. 

“AAHHH!!” Chopper, Nami and Usopp screamed.

“ENOUGH!!” A new voice rang out across the sky, as a large bird dove straight at the masked man, causing him to put down his gun in order to pull out his shield, blocking an attack from a man riding atop the bird. The man was wearing armor, and carrying a lance, which struck the guerrilla’s shield, sending him flying back. The man landed on the Merry, and the crew looked at him with wide eyes.

“Okay, who is this guy?” Nami asked.

The man turned, standing tall, and clearing his throat. “Ahem… I am… the sky knight!” he announced. He turned back, searching the clouds around them. “He’s gone.”

Robin watched as the man spoke with her crew, amazed at the information they received, little as it was. She spoke when she felt it necessary, but for the most part, just took in what she could, adding it to her limited understanding of the sky ocean. Though there were many questions still, she was excited to learn that there were multiple islands here in the sky. She smiled as she thought of the history that she could discover here.

 

* * * * *

 

Zoro didn’t say much, but that wasn’t anything new. He spoke when he felt the need to get the crew back on track, or to check that everyone was still alive, or to let the annoying cook know that he was being annoying- _again_. “What should we do now?” he asked loudly, getting the captain’s attention.

“I know!” Luffy answered. “Let’s call the old guy and ask him!” He reached for the whistle, and Zoro mentally face-palmed. Usopp and Nami were quick to stop Luffy from wasting their new gift, though to Zoro it didn’t matter. If they had to ask for help, they weren’t ready to have come here, and they were here, so they had to be ready. It just made sense.

“Hey, look over there!” Chopper called, and everyone turned. 

“It looks like a waterfall…” Robin said.

“Then it’s settled,” Zoro said, eager to move onward. “We’re going that way.”

When the crew arrived on the Grand Line, there was something that was continuously said, over and over. Expect only the unexpected, and Zoro had internalized the motto. If there was one thing he hated, it was being taken off guard, so if he expected anything to happen, he never would be again. As the Merry sailed toward the waterfall, and a large gate was revealed, Zoro was the only passenger to show no surprise, in fact, to someone else, he might have even looked bored.

“Heaven’s gate??” Usopp asked, shaking. “Isn’t that something you only see after you die?” 

Zoro smirked. “Maybe we are dead then…” he teased, enjoying the wide eyed stares of both Usopp and Chopper. Of course when Chopper started wailing about not wanting to die, he felt slightly bad, but they’d get over it, and be less afraid the next time.

He remained quiet, observing, as the small old woman came out taking pictures of them. He felt uneasy as they were first told of an entrance fee, and then told they could enter anyway. As he had learned countless times from the witch, nothing in life was free, there were always strings attached. 

“Seven of you then?” the old woman asked.

“Actually,” Usopp started, but cut himself off as the ship was grabbed and started moving.

As a giant lobster grabbed a hold of their ship and they traveled quickly up a cloud road, Zoro wondered what the strings from this decision would bring them. Either way, he’d be ready.

 

* * * * *

 

“Woo-hoo!!” the captain shouted, and Robin glanced up at him, before turning back to look at the clouded world around her. Her eyes widened as she saw the large sign they passed that read, “Godland Skypiea.”

“There it is! Sky Island!” 

The captain’s excitement was infectious, and Robin could see that several of the others were practically bouncing with it. The ship was brought a short distance from the beach, and then stopped suddenly. The large claws that had held them, were released, and they found themselves alone.

“Do I drop anchor?” she could hear the swordsman ask. “Will it even work here?” He moved to the anchor, and she determined he had probably been asking himself, and wouldn’t like her opinion on the matter. She turned instead to the navigator.

“Didn’t that sign say Skypiea?” she asked Nami. 

“Yeah,” she answered, though unconcerned. “the same name on that map that Luffy found, which means… that galleon that fell really had been up here.”

“I smell adventure!” Luffy called, and jumped down from the ship into the shallow water. _At least, I believe it’s water. Condensation from the clouds perhaps?_ Robin thought.

Usopp and Chopper ran after him, making their way quickly to the beach, exploring and playing.

“Oy! Zoro!” Luffy called. “Wake up Kia!!” 

“I’ll do it,” Nami said before he could answer. “I want to change anyway.” Robin looked at the sky around her, deciding she no longer needed her jacket. Peeling it off, she looked around her, enjoying the sight of the younger boys at play.

Nami came back quickly, calling out “I’m sorry! Ow! Ow!” Robin turned to see the south bird that they had caught on Jaya flying off towards the island, and Nami rubbing her head. “We forgot to release the south bird,” she said.

* * * * *

I felt more rested, sure, but now I was at the stage were everything hurt. I knew I was limping along like an old woman, but I couldn’t seem to help it. I walked out the door, into the bright light, shielding my eyes. After Nami woke me up, I had changed into shorts and a t-shirt. The weather was beautiful, and I wanted as much sun as I could soak up, even with the bandages on my arms and legs. 

Nami had given me a pair of sunglasses, and though they didn’t hide the large bruise on my face from the backhand I received yesterday, they helped me feel better about it. I knew I didn’t look good however, as I saw Zoro look over at me as I emerged onto the deck. His face barely changed, but I could see the anger in his eyes, along with a slight wince.

I shrugged slightly, and gave him a smile, which he returned with a smirk, and a shake of his head.

“We made it!” Nami yelled, as she jumped overboard. I could hear her laughing, and Robin leaned over to see her. “If I can do it, you can!” Nami called. “Just jump!”

Robin turned back to us. “You coming?” she asked, and I nodded, as I slowly moved over to her. “Swordsman, are you joining us?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be along,” he answered, turning to check the ship one more time before leaving. 

I walked over to the railing, and judging the jump, figured it might hurt, but it was clouds after all, and probably hurt less than trying to use the rope ladder. I hunched sideways over the railing, and rolled over it, then jumped back away from the ship.

I was right and wrong. It didn’t just maybe hurt… it really hurt. Clouds yes, but still an impact on my already bruised body. As I landed, I fell over, and rolled onto my back. I laid in the cloud water, floating, as Robin jumped down gracefully beside me.

“Yeah, I know, not smart,” I said before she could reprimand me. “I thought the clouds would be more… soft.”

“Can I help you up?” she asked with a hint of a smile. 

“Please.”

As she helped me stand, I looked over at the beach. “Looks like everyone is enjoying themselves.”

“The captain said he smelled adventure, so we had better prepare ourselves,” Robin commented. She kept her arm through mine, assisting me in walking through the water to the beach.

I laughed, “Luffy can _always_ smell adventure,” I said. “though sometimes, I’m pretty sure he creates it himself.”

“Ha ha, yes.” Robin chuckled. “I believe you are right about that.” She looked around the beach as we walked up to the shore. “I didn’t think of this as an adventure, perhaps I should change my stance.” 

“Most definitely,” I agreed.

“Robin baby! Kia sweetie!” Sanji called as he raced up to us. “I have a present for you!” He stuck a flower behind our ears, looked at the last one in his hand, and raced off, calling, “Nami baby! Where are you?”

I giggled. “He’s such a romantic, and yet…” 

Robin laughed as well, pulling the flower from her hair to peer at it. I could hear splashing behind us, and I glanced back to see Zoro coming up behind us, his pants rolled up to avoid the water. I took a moment to study his scars on his ankles. They were pretty big, and were close to being a full circle around each leg. Which meant he had cut through much more than I had always assumed.

I winced in sympathy, but he just looked at me in confusion, so I rolled my eyes and turned back forward, just as Luffy came forward with two large gourd-like things. They resembled green pumpkins. I thought for a moment about showing off my knowledge, but before I could, we heard the music, and turned toward the sound.

“Is it a monster?” Usopp asked, hiding behind a tree.

“The sky knight will save us!” Chopper said hurriedly. “Where’s the whistle?!” he looked around frantically.

“No he can’t,” Sanji said, as we all gathered closer together. I looked over at the girl playing the harp, understanding what had Sanji all in a tizzy. She was very cute, from her long braided blond hair, her adorable wings sticking out from her back, and her short dress. She seemed like one of those girls from home that looked prettier naturally than other girls would with all their hair and makeup tricks.

“She’s… an angel!” Sanji gushed.

“An angel?” several of the others asked, even as she turned to look at us.

“Heso!” she called out.

“Huh?” Luffy said.

“Do you think she is trying to say hello?” Usopp asked quietly.

“It kind of sounded like hello,” Zoro added.

“Then say it back,” I said, and Luffy shouted out, “Hello!”

The angel smiled, putting away her harp as she walked towards us. A small animal ran from us to her, and as she bent to scoop it up in her arms, I recognized the cloud fox. “Did you come from the blue sea world?” she asked Luffy. I wasn’t sure if she could tell he was the one in charge, or if it was because he had said hello.

“If that’s what you call it,” he answered.

“Then let me welcome you to Skypiea’s Angel Beach.” She smiled at us all, then looked down at the gourds in Luffy’s arms. “Oh, do you like conash?” she asked, gesturing towards the gourds.

“Huh?” Luffy questioned.

“Let me help,” she offered, taking one from him. “The top is as hard as a rock, but… if you cut from the underside,” she said, as she made a hole at the bottom, and placed a straw inside for him. “You can drink it.” She handed it back, and Luffy took a huge mouthful. After swallowing, he practically freaked out, shouting about how good it was, with Usopp and Chopper asking for samples.

“I am Conis, and this is Suu,” she said to the rest of us, ignoring the boys as the rest of us were. 

“Whoa,” Sanji muttered. He did his most suave bow, but before he could say anything, Nami pulled him aside.

“All of this is new to us, and we have a lot of questions,” Nami said with a polite smile. 

“Of course!” Conis answered. “I’d be happy to answer them.”

“Something’s coming from the ocean,” Zoro called out, and we all turned to look.

“It’s a giant slug!!” Luffy exclaimed.

“No, that’s my father,” Conis said. 

“Heso Conis!!” the man called.

“Heso Father!” Conis shouted back, and Luffy looked at her in irritation.

“What’s Heso?!” he muttered.

I explained quietly that it was their way of greeting, like saying hi, or hey, instead of hello, and he shrugged, no longer interested. He continued to drink from the conash, and we watched as Conis’ father crashed onto the shore.

He greeted us warmly, and offered to feed us lunch. Luffy was quick to agree, as he always was with food, and Sanji looked almost as excited, as he thought of learning new cuisine. Nami however, was more interested in the waver and how it worked.

Pagaya, Conis’ father, offered us a chance to ride his waver, and Luffy used his title to claim first ride. I decided I’d better go with him, as once Nami got on, there wouldn’t be another chance for a long time. Luffy cheered as I climbed on behind him, and as Pagaya explained the controls, I smiled. I had ridden jet skis and wave runners many times, and felt this would be pretty similar.

Luffy however, had never ridden anything of the sort, and was wildly out of control from the moment he took off. He just pushed the accelerator down to the floor, and we were off in a shot. He screamed, and the waver rocked, and he was having a hard time keeping it steady.

As we passed a wave we created, the waver soared, and we tumbled out.

“Oh no!” Conis cried back at the shore.

“I wonder if devil fruit users sink in this sea like they do in water?” Sanji questioned.

“Well, it’s not like the normal sea, so maybe he’ll float,” Zoro responded. 

Chopper looked back and forth between them, getting more and more worried as no one seemed to move to help Luffy.

“Oh, down he goes,” Sanji said.

“Guess I was wrong,” Zoro added.

Chopper ran forward with a yell, wanting to help his friend, and immediately became powerless in the water.

Back in the water, I swam over to Luffy, and hauled him up. I moved much faster in this ocean, and was glad for the lack of resistance that I would normally find. I swam over to the waver and threw Luffy’s upper body over the side, then went around and climbed back in from the other side, and finally pulled him aboard.

“I almost… fell through the cloud…” he said, panting.

“Yeah, you’re fine,” I commented. I stepped forward, situating myself at the controls, and slowly pushed the accelerator. We started moving forward, and I increased the power until it was at a speed I was comfortable with. The pedal was only about halfway down, but I didn’t want to tip over again. I knew Nami would be much better at this, but at least I was able to actually ride it.

“Whoa!!” Luffy called out, as he stood up, grabbing onto my shoulder. 

“Ow! Watch it Luffy!” 

“Oh, sorry Kia! But I have to hold on!” 

“Uh, grab my waist then,” I called back.

“Can’t we go faster?” He asked.

“Nope.”

Luffy pouted all the way back to shore, and pouted even more as Nami got her turn and showed us all up, even Pagaya. She really was a natural.

“Why can she ride it?!” Luffy demanded. “And Kia too?”

Nami had ridden near shore and apparently hear him yelling. “There’s a trick!” she called out as she sped away. “You’re touch isn’t delicate enough Luffy!”

“Nami! It’s time for lunch, so you have to get off now!” Luffy yelled back, and I chuckled at his pouting. 

“Nice try,” Sanji said dryly.

“Looks like she wants to stay out awhile,” Robin added. “Should we head to your house then?”

“Yes, follow us,” Conis said, she and Pagaya leading the way. 

“She’s having a blast!” Usopp said, as we turned to follow them.

“Come on Luffy, you don’t want to be left behind!” I called. 

“Just sink already!” he said sticking out his tongue at Nami, only to be kicked in the head by Sanji. 

“Thanji!!” Luffy complained. “You made me bithe my thong!”

“Good.”

I tried not to laugh too hard, as I grabbed Luffy’s arm and we walked up the giant staircase leading us inland. It was a good thing I did too, as I quickly expended all my energy, and Luffy had to help me about halfway up, but finally we reached their house. The first thing I did, was slide onto the sofa, the cushy cloud exactly what I needed to rest on.


End file.
